Sardar Azmoun scored against both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and he has allegedly piqued Celtic’s interest.
Liverpool’s loss could be Celtic’s gain. According to the Scottish Sun, Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun turned down the chance to swap FC Rostov for Anfield due to concerns that he would not be the first choice striker on Merseyside.
However, reports that Celtic have identified the 22-year-old as the ideal replacement for Moussa Dembele this summer should convince the ‘Iranian Ibrahimovic’ that game time would not be in short supply under Brendan Rodgers.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
A whole host of European giants, from Liverpool and Manchester United to Marseille and PSG, are planning to watch Dembele in action for France’s upcoming Under-23 fixtures, meaning Celtic are likely to face a challenge holding onto their prized asset this summer.
Azmoun is nowhere near as prolific as the 32-goal Frenchman, however. In 26 games in the Russian Premier League in 2016/17, the reported Everton, Lazio and Villarreal target hit just seven goals.
Euro star
However, with Rodgers aiming to turn Celtic back into a European force, setting his players the target of remaining in the Champions League after Christmas according to The Express, you wonder whether it’s Azmoun’s performances in the competition that have inspired interest from The Hoops.
The rangy forward’s tally of two goals in six Champions League group stage games may not jump off the page but the fact that they came against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid highlights Azmoun’s penchant for the big occasion.
His goal against Bayern, in particular, was a stroke of genius. Checking back onto his right foot, sending World Cup winning centre-back Jerome Boateng spinning off course, Azmoun slotted home coolly to set Rostov on their way to a famous 3-2 home win.
If the Iranian can produce on the biggest stage for Celtic, he will be worth the risk.
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