Why Celtic must sign free agent Gabriel Agbonlahor

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has expressed his desire to play for Scottish champions Celtic. (h/t The Scotsman)

The 31-year-old Englishman, who is a free agent, donned Celtic colours for Stiliyan Petrov and James Milner’s Match for Cancer, which ended in a 3-3 draw at Celtic Park over the weekend. And speaking after the game, Agbonlahor was quoted by The Scotsman:

“When the Celtic fans start singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ it has always given me goosebumps just watching it on TV — so it would be something else to actually play in it.

“It’s a massive club and even just to come here and play in a charity match is an honour. I’ll try and speak to Brendan Rodgers and we’ll see what happens!”

So, should Celtic consider the possibility of signing the 31-year-old?

The Hoops find themselves in a bit of a sticky situation at the top. They sold star man Moussa Dembele to Olympique Lyon on deadline day and the last-minute deal left them with little time to secure a replacement.

Brendan Rodgers has only two out-and-out strikers at his disposal at present – Odsonne Edouard and Scottish international Leigh Griffiths, both of whom have had injury troubles in the past.

Edouard started the season strongly but spent a couple of weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury, only to make his comeback in the Glasgow Derby against Rangers earlier this month. Griffiths, on the other hand, endured an injury-hit campaign last year and he also missed the start of the ongoing season.

 

If either of them get injured in the coming months, Celtic will find themselves in a spot of bother. After all, they must retain their top spot in the Scottish Premiership while also keeping an eye on progressing in the UEFA Europa League.

And that is why bringing in Agbonlahor as a backup wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Bhoys. The 31-year-old has also had his fair share of injuries throughout his career but given his experience at the top level and his instant availability, he does seem like an enticing prospect.

The former England international spent most of his career at Aston Villa, barring two short loan spells at Watford and Sheffield Wednesday way back in 2005. During his tenure with the English club, Agbonlahor accumulated 391 appearances, bagging 86 goals and setting up 15 more.

Agreed, the 31-year-old has made only 20 first-team appearances over the past couple of seasons, during which he scored and assisted two goals apiece. However, considering the desperate situation Celtic find themselves in, he wouldn’t be the worst addition as far as stop-gap solutions go.

Read More: Three players Celtic could target to replace Moussa Dembele – including this Liverpool superstar

They only have to look at what Kolo Toure did during his short time at the club and the value he brought in with his wealth of experience and knowledge.

Celtic must invest in a new striker when the January transfer window opens, but until then, having an added option like Agbonlahor will certainly help them.