Celtic look set to bolster their attacking options before they return to competitive action against Hibernian, who they beat 2-0 at the weekend in the Scottish Premiership, in the League Cup on Sunday.
The Hoops have reportedly reached an agreement with Norwich City to sign centre-forward Adam Idah on a permanent deal, following his loan spell in Glasgow during the second half of last season.
Brendan Rodgers is on the verge of bringing the Ireland international back to the club on a long-term contract, for a fee that could end up being a record for the Scottish giants.
Sky Sports have claimed that the Bhoys have agreed to pay an initial, guaranteed, fee of £8.5m to the English Championship club, with a further £1m in add-ons, alongside a 15% sell-on clause for the Canaries.
If the Hoops end up paying out all of those add-ons then it would make Idah the most expensive signing in their history, overtaking the £9m spent on Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2018.
The 6 foot 3 marksman may not be the only forward to arrive from Norfolk before the end of the summer transfer window, though, as a new target has emerged for Celtic.
Celtic eyeing Norwich winger
According to journalist Pete O'Rourke, the Scottish giants are the latest club to join the race to sign young Norwich winger Abu Kamara this summer.
The reporter claims that the Bhoys are one of the teams 'monitoring' the 21-year-old magician, as Rodgers eyes up further additions to his attack after the deal for Idah is completed.
Earlier this month, Football Insider reported that Premier League side Southampton were preparing an offer to sign the Engand U20 international, but there have not been any further developments on their interest since then.
The same outlet had claimed earlier in the summer that Belgian giants Anderlecht are also keen on a deal to land the former Portsmouth loanee, but added that – at that time – Norwich were 'determined' to keep hold of him.
Football Insider stated, however, that the Canaries would be forced to consider a 'significant' offer for his services, although it is unclear what they would deem to be a significant amount of money for him.
Therefore, it currently remains to be seen whether or not Kamara is a viable target or someone they would like as a priority signing this month.
However, the young English forward could be an exciting addition to Rodgers' attacking options alongside Idah, who he has played alongside at youth and senior level.
What Adam Idah could bring to Celtic
Firstly, the Irish striker looks set to be a fantastic signing for the Scottish giants because he has already proven himself to be a brilliant option in the Premiership.
The 23-year-old striker has also shown that he has the quality and the mentality to pop up in crucial moments to score important goals for Celtic.
His clutch performances for the Hoops won them vital points in the Premiership title race, with two goals in a 2-1 win over Hibernian, two goals in a 3-1 win over Motherwell, and a goal in a 3-3 draw with Rangers.
His most important goal in a Celtic jersey, arguably, came in his final match as a loanee for the club, however, in the 1-0 win over Rangers at Hampden Park in the League Cup final.
Idah was quick to react to Jack Butland weakly parrying Paulo Bernardo's long-range effort back out into danger to tuck the ball past the former England international in the 90th minute – winning the trophy for his boyhood club.
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, the Irish marksman did not need to start games on a regular basis to find the back of the net consistently for the Scottish giants.
He was incredibly efficient in front of goal during his time on loan in Glasgow, which suggests that he could be a lethal scorer over the course of an entire season this term – now that the striker is poised to join on a permanent basis.
Why Celtic should sign Abu Kamara
The Hoops should now look to reunite him with one of his soon-to-be former teammates by swooping for Kamara before the end of the window, as they could be an exciting pairing in the final third for Celtic.
Kamara has only made four first-team appearances to date but his form for the Canaries at youth level and his performances on loan at Portsmouth last season suggest that he is a promising talent.
The England U20 international was mainly used as a centre-forward by Norwich in their academy and racked up an eye-catching 43 goals and ten assists in 80 appearances at U21 and U18 level combined, including 31 goals in 50 U21 matches in all competitions.
Producing quality in academy football is one thing but Kamara was then able to make the step up and showcased his ability in the final third on loan with Portsmouth in League One on loan during the 2023/24 campaign.
He racked up ten goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Pompey, whilst nailing down a position on the right flank, to help them win promotion to the Championship.
Starts
37
Goals
8
Big chances created
8
Assists
10
Key passes
41
Dribbles completed per game
1.2
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed magician was a creative threat for Portsmouth on the wing, with 41 key passes and ten assists in the third tier.
Kamara, who was once described as a "really tricky" player by journalist Josh Bunting, has proven that he can create high-quality chances at an impressive right from a wide role, albeit in League One.
Meanwhile, Matt O'Riley (13) was the only Celtic player who managed to assist more than nine goals in the Premiership last season, which suggests that the 6 foot Norwich youngster could come in and be one of the team's best creators if he can translate his form over to Scotland.
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Therefore, Kamara and Idah could be an exciting pairing for the Hoops as the English wizard could create the chances for the Irishman to find the back of the net week-in-week-out.
