Scottish Premiership powerhouses Rangers and Celtic are reportedly willing to take a punt on Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu.
If Rangers and Celtic really want to sign Uche Ikpeazu this summer, they should expect the unexpected.
According to the Scottish Sun, the Old Firm giants are going head-to-head to sign a striker who has impressed with his physicality and unselfish approach, if not his goalscoring, since joining Hearts from Cambridge United. Hull and Cardiff City are also reported to be keen with the Tynecastle club demanding £1 million.
Now, the cynics will point out that Ikpeazu is far from prolific, netting just one Scottish Premiership goal all season and five in all competitions.
But the 24-year-old’s remarkable strength and team ethic means he is capable of getting the best out of those around him – though establishing an effective partnership is easier said than done.
“Uche at times is unpredictable for the opposition and some times for us as well. To get a good partnership it requires a lot of work,” Hearts manager Craig Levein told Not The Old Firm, while admitting that the Edinburgh outfit are a different animal with the giant striker up front.
“Ikpeazu brings a hunger to our frontline that we don’t have if he isn’t it in the team.”
Ikpeazu is certainly something of an uncut diamond, a player with real potential who could be one of Scotland’s most feared strikers if he hones his considerable attributes effectively.
But can Rangers and Celtic really afford to spend £1 million who has been described as ‘unpredictable’ by his very own manager?
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