Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are reportedly hoping to sign Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long from Southampton.
Since Brendan Rodgers took charge of Celtic in the summer of 2016, the Hoops have had three main centre-forwards – Moussa Dembele, Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard.
Dembele is arguably the most natural goal-scorer of the three, an intelligent striker who is adept at sniffing out space in the penalty area. Griffiths, meanwhile, is a creator as well as a finisher, an intelligent link-man who takes a mean set piece. Edouard, however, is physical, strong and impressive with his back to goal.
Shane Long, then, is something else entirely.
According to the Sun (26 August, page 61), Celtic are keen to sign the 31-year-old Southampton striker on a season-long loan. And you can imagine that Long’s head could be turned. The Republic of Ireland international is, after all, a boyhood Hoops fan, as reported by the Independent.
Long, who moved to Southampton from Hull in 2014 for £12 million, is not the most prolific of scorers. He found the net just twice in all competitions last season and famously went 35 games without a goal between February 2017 and January 2018.
But Long would give Celtic something new. He is a player famed for staying on the shoulder of the last defender and sprinting in behind with his impressive acceleration.
He would give a possession-based Celtic side the option to go long when required and counter with breakneck speed. With Brendan Rodgers’ side struggling to open up deep-lying opponents of late, perhaps a more aggressive, old-school centre-forward would give him a viable plan B.
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