Joining Celtic on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, the arrival of Odsonne Edouard didn’t really bring much attention it should. He was limited to playing time at first, but a hat trick against Motherwell not long after his arrival caught of Brendan Rodgers.
The tough second-half of the season will surely test his attributes. Football Weeks has come up with 3 solid talking points whether Odsonne Edouard would be fit enough to handle three competitions for the rest of the season ? And whether he will be fit enough to nail a starting striker role under Rodgers.
1) Odsonne Edouard will remain Rodgers’ starting striker
This is exciting depending on who one prefer. Leigh Griffiths is looking for goal number 100 soon, and starting time will help the Scotland international reach that goal very quickly. However, the Celtic injured star has been so good off the bench recently which has definitely been noticed by those at Paradise.
Edouard has been sublime for the 60-70 minutes he puts in each game for Celtic before Griffiths comes on. In Hoops recent contest against Hearts, the France under-19 international had at least 4-5 high quality chances within the first half.
Charly Musonda’s arrival from Chelsea has now given him more freedome down the middle. Musonda’s quick ball distribution and dribbling tactics gives Edouard the chance to show creativity inside the box, which is where the striker scores a majority of his goals.
Keeping up with this form for the rest of the season will determine the likeliness of this prediction. However, it would be nice to see the former PSG youngster gather 60 minutes per game even if he isn’t in the striking role.
2) Odsonne Edouard will end the season with either 12 or 15 goals
Might be a bit reach for Celtic, but his starting minutes will impact the outcome of this goal. The Scottish club still have some easy games left on their schedule where points are a must for them. At the same time, Edouard needs to find the back of the net in those respective games to even score 12 goals.
He has scored six goals already, three of which came against Motherwell. Scoring might be a problem, but again, more playing time can help Edouard escape that shell.
His goal record can still be extended further to say that he could find the back of net in the series with Zenit. The Russian giants doesn’t have a defense that makes supporters that crazy for, and Odsonne is brilliant in making runs straight down the middle of the opposing back-line.
Overall, it wouldn’t be disappointing to see the youngster not reach his potential. However, to score 10 goals is almost a guarantee for the striker.
3) Edouard will permanently sign with Celtic
Supporters aren’t crazy about Edouard’s 7 million pound price tag, but some need to realize that the price his high for young quality. The Hoops can go out and buy another striker with the same potential, and they’ll be stuck in the same cycle again.
It’s best to sign Edouard who is already familiar to Scottish football, and to the Bhoys’ style of play. Plus, £7 million isn’t that bad considering the fact that money monster’s PSG could ask for way more than that.
Edouard doesn’t necessarily have to be the first-team man right now, but there’s no counter-case to the fact that he’s an all-around type of player. He can come off the bench or start; it doesn’t matter. The striker will still have an impact on the game.
The best thing to do now is to secure Edouard before his price inches up even more. Talent tends to sky rocket in price especially when associated with PSG, and the Celts could very well secure their investment now which could potentially help in the future.