It is fair to say that the deadline day of the summer transfer window at the start of this month did not go exactly to plan for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.
The Hoops wanted to make several additions to their forward line heading into the day, and allowed Adam Idah to sign for Swansea City on a permanent deal.
Sebastian Tounekti arrived from Hammarby on a permanent deal to add to the manager’s options on the right wing, but they did not land a striker or a right winger.
Celtic were reportedly interested in a deal to sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on loan from Crystal Palace, only for him to remain at Selhurst Park. Meanwhile, the club made a £10m offer to sign Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht, but lost the race for his signature to Dutch giants Ajax.
Missing out on those deals meant that the Scottish Premiership giants had to dip into the free agent market to tempt Kelechi Iheanacho into a reunion with Rodgers at Parkhead, having worked with him at Leicester City in England.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the former Manchester City centre-forward will be a success in Glasgow, it was a blow for the Hoops to miss out on Dolberg.
Why missing out on Kasper Dolberg was a blow for Celtic
Missing out on a deal to sign the Denmark international from Anderlecht on deadline day was a big blow for Celtic because he could have been the main number nine for the club this season.
As aforementioned, Idah’s move to Swansea left the Hoops in need of a new centre-forward. Dolberg’s form in Belgium in recent seasons suggests that he could have been the perfect replacement.
The new Ajax signing scored 44 goals in 96 appearances in all competitions for Anderlecht, per Transfermarkt, and started the current campaign with a return of five goals in nine games.
Dolberg’s output in the Belgian Pro League in the 2024/25 campaign in comparison to Idah’s in the Premiership, in particular, illustrates the gulf in class between the two.
Appearances (starts)
31 (30)
35 (19)
xG
16.70
N/A
Goals
18
13
Conversion rate
22%
17%
Goals from outside the box
3
2
Assists
2
0
Duel success rate
50%
41%
As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old marksman could have arrived at Parkhead as a big upgrade on the Ireland international to provide Rodgers with a lethal and reliable centre-forward option this season.
Instead, Celtic have had to take a gamble on Kelechi Iheanacho, who scored four goals in 26 matches in all competitions last season for Sevilla and Middlesbrough combined, per Sofascore.
Therefore, Celtic’s failure to get a deal over the line for Dolberg on deadline day last week was, ultimately, a big blow because of his quality and because of the gamble they have had to make as a result of that failure.
The club’s options in the number nine position could have looked a lot different, though, because they once had a striker on trial who is now worth more than £20m more than the £10m they bid on Dolberg.
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Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson, who is currently loan at Roma, previously revealed that he had trials with the Scottish giants in his younger days.
Celtic missed out on Evan Ferguson
When asked last October if Celtic had tried to sign him in recent seasons, the striker said: “No, nothing. I went on a few trials when I was younger.”
The young marksman played for St. Kevins Boys and Bohemians in Ireland before his move to Brighton’s academy in 2021, but it is unclear as to when he went on trials with the Hoops, whether it was just before his move to Brighton or before his move to Bohemians.
Either way, Celtic will rue the fact that they missed out on bringing him over to Glasgow, whether it was their decision or his, because he is now a top striker prospect who is an incredibly valuable asset.
Ferguson scored 18 goals in 39 matches for Brighton at U21 level, per Transfermarkt, before being thrust into first-team action at the age of 17. He was valued at just £519k by Transfermarkt when he made that step up.
The Ireland international has scored 17 goals in 80 first-team matches for Brighton, but he may not get a chance to add to that tally because Roma reportedly have an option to sign him on a permanent basis for a fee of roughly £35m, which shows how much his value has soared in recent years.
Ferguson, who scored against Hungary for Ireland last weekend, scored two goals in two games for his country during the current international break, but is still looking for his first competitive goal for Roma.
22/23
5.67
6
+0.33
23/24
3.97
6
+2.03
24/25
1.36
1
-0.36
Total
10.29
13
+1.89
As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old marksman’s finishing quality in the Premier League for Brighton suggests that he will score goals for the Italian side if they provide him with enough chances.
Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker compared him to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during the 2023/24 campaign, saying: “I do see a hint of Haaland about him, his stature, his movement, his youth and stuff like that.”
That was an incredibly high praise from Lineker, a former striker himself, and it came off the back of Ferguson scoring six goals in the Premier League as a teenage centre-forward, which is partly why he is such a valuable young player, because he has proven himself in a major European league.
Now, he is worth £35m, £25m more than the £10m that Celtic were willing to pay for Dolberg, and the Hoops could do with a talented striker like him in their current squad after their deadline day woes.