What Albian Ajeti’s Celtic arrival means for Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths

Likely signing of West Ham striker could see Lennon revert to 3-5-2

West Ham United forward Albian Ajeti was in Glasgow ahead of a proposed move to Celtic. Picture: Craig Foy / SNS

The revolving door involving Celtic’s striking department can leave heads spinning as followers of the Parkhead club try to work out what it all means for the Scottish champions.

News that West Ham United’s Albian Ajeti had touched down in Glasgow – ahead of an expected £5 million transfer – filtered through just as it was confirmed that Vakoun Bayo has moved on loan to French second division side Toulouse.

Assuming there is no hitch in the deal for Switzerland international Ajeti, the transfer manoeuvrings will offer Neil Lennon the opportunity to rotate a quartet of nearly £20m-worth of frontline forwards in the form of Odsonne Edouard, Patryk Klimala, Leigh Griffiths and Ajeti.

What will the likely arrival of Albian Ajeti at Celtic mean for Odsonne Edouard? Picture: Ross Parker/SNS

The hefty outlay on the 23-year-old former Basel man inevitably will create anxiety over the ever-present danger of Celtic’s peerless performer Edouard being spirited away before the transfer window closes in six weeks’ time.

However, Ajeti’s inability to settle at the London club perhaps should, conversely perhaps, settle any such fears. The fact that Ajeti started only three games for West Ham – only one in the league – in 12 appearances for the club without a goal, means he cannot be considered a ready-made replacement for the Frenchman – even if he did net 43 goals and provide 21 assists in 96 appearances for Basel to earn an £8m move to England.

Delving further into Lennon’s central attacking options, Griffiths appears unable either to stay fit or stay on message while Klimala has started only once since he moved to Scotland in January.

The upshot is Celtic could be seeking to deploy three strikers that have had limited game time in the past year. None of the trio can be expected to take the place of Edouard, pictured. Instead, their roles would be to take some of the pressure off the 22-year-old, who has put in a monumental shift in the past 13 months with 47 appearances and 31 goals.

Lennon will no doubt have analysed when Edouard was at his most lethal across that period. Between late January and the Covid-19 curtailment of the season in March, he plundered 11 goals in 12 games. He did so as he appeared to revel in the opportunity to dovetail with Griffiths as the pair spearheaded a 3-5-2 formation that also allowed the Scottish international to fill his boots.

Lennon has not seemed in any rush to partner Edouard in the – very – early stages of a campaign that has been forced into abeyance as a result of Boli Bolingoli’s overseas travel quarantine breach.

A key factor in that may have been the unavailability of Griffiths, currently sidelined with a calf strain. If he can get Ajeti in the door and quickly assimilated, he might revisit the 3-5-2 formation. It was reported last week that the Swiss striker was reluctant to commit to Celtic because he was concerned the pre-eminent status of Edouard at the club would restrict his opportunities. The fact Lennon is said to have convinced him otherwise leads to the suspicion the Irishman has dangled a partnership with Edouard as a carrot. In that scenario, Griffiths could be the biggest loser of Celtic’s latest moves in the market.