Will Kelechi Iheanacho become the Youssouf Mulumbu of Celtic’s worst transfer window ever?

Back in 2018, Brendan Rodgers wanted John McGinn to come to Celtic.

Aston Villa got John McGinn because Peter Lawwell decided to haggle over a couple of hundred grand, and instead Brendan Rodgers got Youssouf Mulumbu.

Whether Kaspar Dolberg was identified by Brendan Rodgers is unclear.

But if he was, then once again, the manager didn’t get his player.

It looks like instead he is going to get Kelechi Iheanacho.

Unlike Mulumbu, Iheanacho is a player that the Celtic boss has worked with before.

At 28, he is still young enough to make an impact, but the issue is he hasn’t been making an impact since he left Rodgers’ former club Leicester in July of last year.

He joined Sevilla on a free transfer from Leicester, and managed just nine appearances with the La Liga side before heading out on loan to Middlesborough in early February of this year.

The interesting thing here, or alarming thing, whichever way you want to look at it, is that Iheanacho rejected a move to Celtic back then, in favour of going to Middlesborough.

Just as we were scrambling about in the last knockings of the January window after selling Kyogo.

Desperately trying to get someone in before the window closed.

The reality is that Iheanacho rejected us then.

Now, just over seven months later, we are back begging for him to join us out of desperation.

But the question is, who is the more desperate of either party?

The striker who has scored just one goal in the Championship?

Or the club that is desperate at this point to just plug a gap?

Because at this point in time, that’s all this is.

Look, Brendan Rodgers may be able to get a tune out of Iheanacho again, but that’s really not the point.

What Rodgers has wanted and needed since last January is a proven goalscorer.

Iheanacho does not fit that bill.

Not by a long shot.

In reality, he has not really been prolific on the goalscoring front since 2021.

Yes, there’s no doubt he enjoyed some good times under Brendan Rodgers, but that was then, and this is now.

After Leicester were relegated in 2023, Iheanacho only managed 6 goals in 26 starts in the Championship.

So, in reality, since Brendan Rodgers departed Leicester, and for the duration of his time at Celtic, Iheanacho has managed just 7 goals in that time.

And this is the guy we expect to lead the line at our club if he is signed today?

You can see why I would compare his signing to that of Youssouf Mulumbu, can’t you?

We will have a strike force, which between them since the end of 2024, has managed to score 5 goals.

2 for Kenny.

2 for Yamada at Kawasaki Frontale.

And 1 for Iheanacho at Middlesborough.

Doesn’t exactly fill you full of confidence for the campaign ahead, does it?

Yet this is where we’re at.

This is how a club that aspires to be world class in everything it does operates.

Am I missing something here?

You tell me.

We are expected to mount a serious a challenge with this strike force, are we?

Is this somebody’s idea of a joke?

While we were floundering around like amateur imbeciles on the final day of the transfer window, our rivals were forking out £8 million for a 21 year old striker from Everton.

Youssef Chermiti has 22 first team appearances for the Toffees with no goals scored.

Outside of that, he has only managed 7 career goals.

I’m not sure which is more insane, closing out the transfer window with no replacement in for Adam Idah, or forking out £8 million (rising to £10 million) for an as yet unproven striker.

But here’s the difference between us and the Ibrox side.

Their owners have backed their manager, they have given him everything he asked for.

Our board has given Brendan Rodgers a weaker squad than the one he finished the season with.

This is how you get rewarded at Celtic if you win a double, and produce our best Champions League campaign bar none.

Your squad gets decimated.

Your top winger is sold and not replaced.

You’re robbed of not one, but two major strikers.

60 plus goals removed from the team.

And the answer?

Well, we can get you Kelechi Iheanacho on a free since his parent club tore up his contract.

The reason they tore up that contract?

To save themselves the grief of having to deal with the cretins who run our club.

That says it all.

You couldn’t make this shit up.

Sevilla would rather let Iheanacho walk away for nothing than attempt to negotiate with our club.

This is where we’re at folks.

“Oh shit, it’s Celtic on the phone enquiring about Iheanacho!”

“Bollocks to that, tear up his contract and let them have him, I couldn’t be dealing with them! No great loss to us anyway.”

This is how we’re viewed now as a club.

If that’s not proof enough for you that this board is not fit for purpose, I don’t know what is.

Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough of a shitshow for you, if the board don’t manage to get Iheanacho’s signing tied up by 11pm this evening, he will miss the deadline to be eligible to play in the Europa League.

What are the chances of that happening?

Golly Jee, I wonder….

It’s time for them to go.

#Sack the Board

#Renewal is coming

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We’ll be having a special Trinity Tims Podcast tomorrow evening to reflect on this disaster of a window. Be sure to tune in. In the meantime, enjoy last night’s show!