Saman Ghoddos reportedly wanted by West Ham, but Celtic should plan their own move

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Ostersund striker Saman Ghoddos is reportedly attracting major interest.

Ostersund’s remarkable Europa League journey came to an end on Thursday night, heading out of the competition despite a 2-1 win at Arsenal, as they headed out 4-2 on aggregate.

Graham Potter – who has led the side from the fourth tier of Swedish football to the last 32 of the Europa League in less than seven years – saw his side turn in a superb display at the Emirates Stadium, capping off a campaign which has seen them beat Galatasaray, PAOK, Zorya Luhansk and Hertha Berlin.

The problem for the Swedish side now is that their meteoric rise is sparking interest in key players, as ESPN report that five Premier League clubs – Brighton and Hove Albion, Leicester City, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United – all scouted striker Saman Ghoddos on Thursday.

Ghoddos, 24, has hit 31 goals in 70 games for Ostersund since signing from Syrianska, and after notching two assists against Arsenal on Thursday, another club who should join the race are Celtic.

The Bhoys do have strikers right now, but the widespread view is that Moussa Dembele will leave the club this summer for a Premier League side, whilst it seems unlikely that Celtic will break their transfer record in order to sign loanee Odsonne Edouard permanently this summer.

That may well mean that Celtic are in the market for another striker this summer, and given their budget and the lure of Champions League football, a player like Ghoddos fits the bill for Rodgers.

Diminutive and quick with a penchant for long-range and even acrobatic goals, Ghoddos is more in the mould of Griffiths than Dembele, but would provide Celtic with another major goal threat either in behind defences or on the end of crosses.

Celtic were interested in Rubin Kazan’s Sardar Azmoun (The Scottish Sun), but a move for his Iranian international teammate Ghoddos also makes sense as a somewhat under-the-radar striker with potential to get even better and can be signed without breaking the bank, fitting Celtic’s transfer policy in recent years.

Ghoddos will seemingly be on the move this summer, and whilst targeting a player off the back of Europa League success could be a gamble, his record in Sweden speaks for itself, and Celtic should at least consider rivalling Premier League clubs for his signature if Dembele moves on.