Why Celtic should sign Shon Weissman in the summer

According to the Telegraph, Celtic are weighing up a move for Wolfsberger AC striker Shon Weissman as a potential replacement for Odsonne Edouard, who has been linked with an exit from the club.

The 24-year-old started out at the academy of Israeli outfit Hapeol Haifa before joining Macabbi Haifa. Having progressed through the youth ranks, he made 38 first-team appearances, bagging 9 goals and 4 assists.

During his time at the club, Weissman had multiple loan spells away at Hapoel Acre, Maccabi Netanya, and Kiryat Shmona, before making the jump to Austrian club Wolfsberger last summer. Since joining the club, the Israeli international has made 30 appearances, contributing with 29 goals and 4 assists.

Celtic need to bolster their attack as they chase 10th title in a row

Celtic, meanwhile, won their 9th consecutive Scottish Premiership title, with the campaign cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. With a historic, unprecedented 10th title in a row in sight next season, the Hoops need to keep hold of their best players, while strengthening the squad further in the summer.

However, they are facing the prospect of losing on star striker Odsonne Edouard in the summer. The Frenchman has been the driving force behind Celtic’s success this season, having plundered 27 goals and 19 assists in 45 matches across all competitions.

But with him attracting interest from the Premier League, Celtic must have a contingency plan in place should he end up departing. Leigh Griffiths has fared decently this season but is not the same prolific scorer he once used to be. Vakoun Issouf Bayo and Patryk Klimala, on the other hand, have hardly made an impression.

Hence, securing the transfer of a prolific goalscorer in the summer would be a wise move by Celtic. Having said that, Shon Weissman would be a viable option for Neil Lennon & co. The 24-year-old has been in prolific form since joining Wolfsberger in the last summer.

The Israeli has been directly involved in 33 goals in just 29 matches in all competitions. He has contributed directly to a goal every 77 minutes. This indicates the kind of threat he brings to the table in the final third.

Without Edouard, Celtic would end up getting deprived of quality in the centre-forward department. Even if he does stay, signing the £4.5m-rated Weissman would still be a good move as it would boost the quality and depth in the position.

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Verdict

Celtic are facing the prospect of losing Odsonne Edouard in the summer. Even if he does stay, given the ineffectiveness of Vakoun Issouf Bayo and Patryk Klimala, they would stand to gain by adding another striker to the ranks. To that end, Shon Weissman would be a good addition. He has been in top form this season and would add more quality to the side.