Celtic continued their impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Hibernian away from Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.
The Hoops sit top of the Scottish Premiership after two matches, having won both of their games, and are yet to concede a single goal in the division.
Kasper Schmeichel, who was brought in on a free transfer to replace Joe Hart after his retirement from professional football, has kept two clean sheets in his first two matches for the club.
Early goals from Nicolas Kuhn and Callum McGregor ensured that the Bhoys enjoyed a comfortable afternoon, with the former converting from close range before teeing up the captain to fire the ball into the far corner from 25 yards.
There was also a second Celtic debut for Paulo Bernardo against Hibernian. The Portuguese midfielder came off the bench for the first time since his permanent move from Benfica was confirmed earlier this month, having spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan in Glasgow.
One thing that should be taken away from this match, however, is that the Scottish giants must dip into the market to secure a new centre-forward, after a difficult game for Kyogo Furuhashi.
Kyogo Furuhashi's struggles
The Japan international is the club's only senior striker option and was selected to lead the line, with Kuhn and James Forrest either side of him.
Unfortunately, it was a frustrating afternoon for the 29-year-old centre-forward. He has now gone 15 away matches in the Premiership without finding the back of the net, stretching back to last season.
The experienced attacker failed to find the back of the net with any of his four efforts in 75 minutes on the pitch on Sunday, which comes after his two 'big chances' missed and zero goals scored on the opening day against Kilmarnock.
Minutes played
75
Shots
4
Goals
0
Big chances missed
1
Passes completed
5
Duels won
1/2
As you can see in the table above, Kyogo was wasteful with the chances that came his way and offered very little in build-up or out of possession.
His saved shot did allow Forrest to follow up to assist Kuhn for the opener but the striker took that shot on from distance despite the German forward being in a fantastic position for a pass to his right.
Kyogo's struggles in front of goal at the start of this term should not be a surprise, as he also left a lot to be desired from his finishing last season.
The right-footed dud missed a staggering 24 'big chances' and only found the back of the net 14 times in 38 Premiership appearances in the 2023/24 campaign.
His latest poor showing in the final third, at least when it came to his finishing, proves that Celtic must do everything they can to bring Adam Idah back to the club.
Celtic's pursuit of Adam Idah
Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reported last Friday that the Scottish giants are in advanced talks to sign the Norwich City centre-forward.
The reporter claimed that the two teams have been discussing a potential deal that would be £6m+, with an initial fee of £6m along with add-ons to take it beyond that.
Joseph added that, whilst no agreement has been reached, there is a 'willingness' from both sides to get a move over the line before the end of the window.
Despite that news, Idah was involved in Norwich's opening day defeat against Oxford United, playing 29 minutes off the bench in a 2-0 defeat.
After the win over Hibs, Brendan Rodgers revealed that there is no fresh update to report on their pursuit of the 6 foot 3 marksman, which suggests that the talks are still ongoing as they look to reach a positive conclusion.
This latest performance from Kyogo may help to speed up those conversations in order to bring him to Parkhead, as the club's current centre-forward continues to struggle in front of goal.
The fact that Mikey Johnston, a winger who was out on loan at West Bromwich Albion in the second half of last season, was selected to play as the number nine off the bench perfectly illustrates their need for a new number nine.
Why Celtic must sign Adam Idah
Celtic have won their first two league games of the season, scoring six goals and keeping two clean sheets, but Kyogo's finishing woes may eventually cause them problems when the bigger games come around – whether that be against Rangers or in the Champions League.
Idah spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead from the Canaries and caught the eye with his impressive finishing quality.
The Irish star showcased his versatile finishing skills with three goals with his head, one with his left foot, and four with his right foot in the Premiership, which shows a strong variety of strikes from the attacker.
Idah also showed glimpses of having the potential to be a clutch finisher for the Hoops, with an 87th-minute strike that put Celtic 3-2 up against Rangers at Ibrox, and a 90th-minute goal against the Gers to win the League Cup for his side.
His performances in the Premiership were particularly impressive and suggested that the quality is there for him to offer more in front of goal than Kyogo.
Appearances
15
Starts
5
Goals
8
Big chances missed
7
Conversion rate
27%
Minutes per goal
76
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Idah only missed seven 'big chances' and scored eight goals, compared to the Japanese forward's 24 spurned 'big chances' and 14 strikes.
These statistics indicate that the Norwich youngster, if he can continue that form, could return to Glasgow and offer a more clinical edge in the number nine position for Rodgers.
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That is why, particularly after Kyogo's wasteful start to the season, the Celtic board must splash the cash and sign the £6m+ centre-forward for the Northern Irish head coach to bolster the squad ahead of the Champions League starting next month.