Celtic board tasked with signing Rangers slayer Adam Idah - but there could be stumbling blocks

Brendan Rodgers will refuse to take no for an answer as he prepares to hand his board the responsibility of prising Adam Idah from Norwich City on a permanent deal.

The striker has probably added a few hundred thousand pounds to his fee having scored the goal that saw Celtic clinch the Scottish Cup against Rangers and secure another double. It's believed a sum of around £6 million will be enough to land Idah. Wages might prove the biggest stumbling block, although the 23-year-old will be desperate to come and enjoy his hero status at Parkhead.

The Celtic manager has put the ball firmly in the court of the club's hierarchy. Rodgers outlined what Idah has accomplished in his short time at the club since joining on loan from Carrow Road in January. He has now struck nine times, including the goal that sent Celtic on the way to clinching the title against Kilmarnock earlier this month. His latest goal left Rangers flat out on their backs after he pounced in the last minute to win a Scottish Cup final where Celtic were second best for large parts of the game. Rangers 'keeper Jack Butland failed to cope with a Paulo Bernardo shot and Idah drilled in the rebound.

The jubilant Celtic players lift the Scottish Cup. Pic: Lisa Ferguson

"The board know how I feel on Adam, that was the reason for bringing him in,” said Rodgers, when asked about his intentions with regards to the on-loan 23 year-old. “He’s been a real catalyst for us, especially over the last few months. I knew what I was getting because I’d seen him in the Premier League at 18. He has all the attributes. He’s fast, dynamic, strong and I felt with better positioning he’d get goals.

“What he’s done since coming in is show that he’s a goalscorer. He gets different types of goals. He has great movement in the box and he deals with pressure moments. Today, he was like a real number nine sniffing in and around the box. He’s been absolutely immense for us and he’s clearly someone I’d like to do something with.

“I’ve seen development in him and that’s what the game’s about - players improving. I just know with Adam that he’s got such a high ceiling. The Premier League is the most competitive league in world football and you need a certain level of physicality.”

“His confidence has never wavered,” he added. “He’s been a brilliant team player – I speak to Cal (McGregor) and the other guys and Adam is such a good guy. All the players love him. But what I love about him is that he’s a big game player. There are so many big moments when he’s stepped up to the plate for us. So I was so, so happy for him. He’s a boy from Ireland, playing as a striker and scoring a goal in the Scottish Cup final against Rangers. Wow – what a summer he’ll have.”

Celtic's Adam Idah (left) celebrates scoring the winner.

Rodgers admitted that the double still holds a cache for him even if some would contend it has lost some of its lustre in recent decades. It is the 13th time the Parkhead club have clinched the Scottish Cup and the league title in the same season.

“The league and Scottish Cup were virtually aligned for me over many years growing up in terms of their importance," he said. "And obviously with the Champions League and the money and everything else has made the title a bit more prestigious.

"However, the Scottish Cup and the history of this club with it means it is still so, so important and you could see that in the game and with the supporters at the end. I know my job here and that’s to protect the rich history of this club whilst continuing to write the chapter of this team and win trophies.”