According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are interested in signing £4.5million-rated Paris FC striker Silas Wamangituka in the summer, with reports claiming that manager Neil Lennon went to watch the 19-year-old in action against Valenciennes on Monday.
The same report adds that the DR Congo hitman has also been watched by scouts from Liverpool and Barcelona, while a host of Ligue 1 clubs, Serie A outfit Fiorentina and 2.Bundesliga high-flyers Hamburger SV have expressed an interest in the youngster.
Wamanituka rose through the youth ranks at French fifth-tier club Ales before joining Ligue 2 outfit Paris FC last summer and has made a massive impact in his debut season in the second tier, scoring 9 goals from 27 appearances.
The 19-year-old is contracted to his current club till 2021 but Paris FC are likely to cash in on their prized asset come the end of the season should a suitable offer be tabled.
Celtic are probably looking at Wamangituka in a bid to replace the likes of Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke, both of whom are on loan at Parkhead and are set to return to their parent clubs West Brom and PSG respectively at the end of the season.
Weah and Burke both joined Celtic in January and have played an important role for the Hoops in the second-half of the campaign. Manager Neil Lennon is well aware of the fact that the departure of the loanees would leave a massive void in Celtic’s attack and has taken an initiative to scout potential targets ahead of the upcoming transfer window, despite his future at Parkhead remaining uncertain.
To put things into perspective, there is not a lot of difference between the Scottish top-flight and the French second-tier and Silas Wamangituka might prove to be a good signing for the Hoops in the summer. The DR Congo man has shown in his debut season in Ligue 2 that he is capable of racking up the goals and there is no reason why Celtic should not invest in him.
Celtic also struck a deal for someone by the name of Vakoun Issouf Bayo in January but the Ivorian has struggled to challenge Odsonne Edouard for a place in the first team, with his last-minute substitute appearance in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership being his only involvement in a green and white shirt so far.
Hence, Edouard has once again done the bulk of the scoring for the Hoops up front in the absence of Leigh Griffiths, who hasn’t played a game since early December.
Suffice to say, Celtic desperately need to bring in another striker to replace the likes of Weah and Burke and take the pressure of Edouard’s shoulders. Standing at 6ft. 2 inches with a well-built frame, Wamangituka has the physicality and the aerial ability to make an impact in Scotland and fill in the role of an understudy to the Frenchman.
The 19-year-old has been tipped for big things very early in his career and Celtic would have a real gem in their hands if they manage to strike a deal for him in the summer.
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The Hoops have literally cruised to the domestic title this season, beating their arch-rivals Rangers comfortably, but they need more depth and quality in their ranks to continue their domestic dominance, as well as make a mark in the Europa League.
And the acquisition of a talented youngster like Silas Wamangituka could prove to be a fantastic long-term investment for the club.