Celtic are reportedly targeting a move to sign West Ham forward Michail Antonio during the final weeks of the transfer window.
Are Celtic signing Michail Antonio?
The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers have made six new signings so far this summer, two of which have been attackers in Hyun-jun Yang and Marco Tilio from Gangwon FC and Melbourne City respectively.
Yang and Tilio are primarily wingers, though, with Celtic losing the services of star wide man Jota earlier in the window after he completed a move to Saudi Arabia.
Centrally, Rodgers currently has Kyogo Furuhashi, Hyeon-gyu Oh and Albian Ajeti as his current options, with Daizen Maeda also capable of turning out as a striker from his natural left-winger role.
Signing a new striker appears to be on the club’s to-do list, though, and it looks as if Antonio, who is actually quicker than both Kyogo and Maeda, is a potential target.
Football Transfers shared an update regarding Antonio’s future on Monday, claiming that the Jamaica international is pushing to leave the London Stadium.
The 33-year-old is into the final 12 months of his £85,000-a-week Hammers contract and has no shortage of possible suitors, with Celtic and Championship side Leeds United both named with an interest.
The report adds that a small fee would be required to secure Antonio’s services, and West Ham won’t sanction any exit until the club bring in a new forward of their own.
How good is Michail Antonio?
Antonio may well be past his prime with his Transfermarkt valuation on the decline over the past three years, however, he could still prove to be a shrewd signing for the Hoops in the short term.
The versatile forward has made over 275 appearances for West Ham, scoring 75 times and registering 43 assists. In total, Antonio has made more than 500 senior club appearances, turning out in a variety of positions from a full-back to a centre-forward.
As mentioned previously, the player has been known for his speed and is quicker than Celtic’s current pacey forwards, clocking up a top speed of 35.48 km/ph last season, the fastest of any Hammers player.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has also previously waxed lyrical over the striker, labelling him a “handful” and comparing him to Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku due to his power and speed.
"He's a handful, very, very difficult. He's a little bit like Lukaku in terms of the power and the speed but also a very good finisher."
Therefore, he could well provide Rodgers with a different attacking option at Celtic Park due to his presence and power. Over the past 12 months, as per FBref, Antonio has drawn 2.13 fouls per game and has averaged 1.78 crosses per 90, putting him in the top 14% and 10% compared to other forwards.
Antonio also ranks highly for progressive carries, average shot distance and successful take-ons, showing what he could offer Rodgers both domestically and in Europe, especially after he helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League last season, and by the looks of things, a move could be one to watch.
