Gyrano Kerk in action for FC Utrecht
Back in July, a report from the Daily Record had mentioned reigning Scottish champions Celtic among the potential suitors for FC Utrecht winger Gyrano Kerk. However, the Hoops eventually focused on bolstering other areas of their squad before the summer deadline and a move to Parkhead failed to materialise for the Dutchman.
A youth exponent of FC Utrecht, Gyrano Kerk made his senior debut in a domestic cup game during the 2013-14 campaign before earning his Eredivisie bow in the following season. The winger then spent time on loan at Helmond Sport in the second-tier before gradually establishing himself as a regular starter in 2017-18.
Kerk has since blossomed into a quality attacker in the Dutch top-flight, registering 36 goals and 36 assists in 141 appearances for Utrecht across all competitions.
Celtic roped in Albian Ajeti from West Ham to bolster their striking ranks in the summer window and the Swiss international has hit the ground running at Parkhead, scoring 5 goals in 13 appearances. Indeed, Ajeti’s presence has reduced the goalscoring workload on Odsonne Edouard to a large extent but the Hoops still lack depth in the wide attacking areas.
James Forrest remains arguably the most potent winger in Scottish football despite turning 29 earlier in the year. But with the academy graduate currently on the sidelines nursing an injury, Neil Lennon has found it really difficult to cope with his absence.
Playmaker Ryan Christie and wing-back Jeremie Frimpong have been entrusted with the responsibility of injecting creativity from the right-hand side of the pitch. Both have done quite well but a specialist right-winger should be high on the club’s agenda when the transfer window reopens in January.
Hence, Celtic should make a renewed attempt to sign Gyrano Kerk to add more depth to their wide attacking options. The Dutchman boasts of an excellent track record of goals and assists in the Eredivisie. At 24, he looks more than ready to embrace a new challenge in Scotland.
Celtic need to start reducing the workload on Forrest given that he’s going to turn 30 at the end of the season. It’s really important to have more than one quality player in each position considering the pressure on the Hoops to do well on all fronts.
A potential deal for Gyrano Kerk would, therefore, offer Lennon a readymade back-up option in that department. The 24-year-old still has his best years ahead of him, thus potentially making him an excellent long-term acquisition for the reigning Scottish champions.