Celtic Eyes Croatian Talent as Winter Transfer Target

Journalist Mark Hendry recently reported that Celtic is considering a January transfer for Franko Kovačević to address their striker issue. Kovačević has been impressive in the Prva Liga, scoring 11 goals in 14 matches while playing for NK Celje.

The 26-year-old, who previously played for Croatia’s youth teams, has had a varied career. After starting with Varaždin, Bjelovar, and Rijeka, he attracted attention from Bayern Munich but chose to join Hajduk Split for more playing time.

Kovačević struggled to get on the field at Hajduk and was loaned to Rudes. Although Rudes activated a buy option, he was sold to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim shortly after. He had short spells in the US with Cincinnati and in Cyprus with Pafos.

His Strong Performance in Slovenia

A quieter transfer to Domžale led to a productive season. Kovačević also played in Germany and South Korea with Wehen Wiesbaden and Gangwon but returned to Slovenia to join Celje last summer after facing challenges elsewhere.

Kovačević has excelled at Celje, netting 25 goals in 28 matches across all competitions. Although the quality of Slovenian football may raise some questions about his adaptation to the more physical Scottish game, his 12 goals in 13 European matches suggest he can perform well against tougher teams.

Celtic’s Need for a Striker

Celtic is back in the title race after reappointing Martin O’Neill as interim manager. His predecessor, Wilfried Nancy, led the team through a rough patch with six defeats in eight matches during his brief tenure. O’Neill has since helped secure wins against Dundee United and Falkirk.

However, O’Neill has stressed the need for new players due to injuries affecting key team members. The team’s offensive options have been severely limited by the long-term absence of Kelechi Iheanacho, Callum Osmand, and Jota, pushing Maeda into the striker role and limiting his overall impact.

While Johnny Kenny can provide backup, he may not be suited to lead the attack consistently. Kovačević, in excellent form, may find the prospect of playing for 60,000 Celtic supporters appealing, despite interest from Levski Sofia and Ferencvaros.