Ange Postecoglou has taken charge of Celtic’s search for a striker by making a personal approach to Georgios Giakoumakis of VVV Venlo.
The 26-year-old striker was the unlikely top scorer in the Dutch League last season despite his club being relegated.
Giakoumakis moved to Venlo last summer from Gornik Zabrze for around £300,000 with an extra 0 likely to secure his transfer.
With Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti making a minimal contribution so far this season Celtic would be left in a very vulnerable position if they were to accept an offer for Odsonne Edouard without adding to their squad.
Duncan Castles, who hosts The Transfer Window podcast with Ian McGarry, broke the story in the Daily Record:
Celtic have opened negotiations over the transfer of Greece international Georgios Giakoumakis, the Dutch Eredivisie’s leading goalscorer last season.
Manager Ange Postecoglou is understood to have played a central role in the pursuit of the 26-year-old, calling the striker personally to detail his plans for him.
A transfer fee in the region of £2.5million is expected to be sufficient to secure Giakoumakis from VVV-Venlo, who were relegated from the Netherlands’ top tier last season despite the forward scoring 26 times in 30 league appearances.
That return was seven better than PSV’s Donyell Malen, who was subsequently sold to Borussia Dortmund for €30m (£26m).
VVV director of football Stan Valckx admitted: “We still assume Jako (Giakoumakis) will be sold soon for the amount we have in mind. It has gotten noisier in the last few weeks, we are getting more and more calls.”
Giakoumakis has earned six caps for Greece but it’s his scoring form last season that will have attracted the attention of Postecoglou.
Over the last week Celtic have been linked with a £6m move for Thomas Henry of OH Leuven but he seems to be about to join Genk.
It is now two weeks since Celtic signed Joe Hart and James McCarthy, with two weeks left of the transfer window it seems that Postecoglou is stepping up his own input to ensure that deals are finalised.
CLICK HERE for the Transfermarkt profile of Giakoumakis.
?? | Georgios Giakoumakis
Celtic have opened negotiations over the transfer of VVV Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis. [@DuncanCastles]
??26 years old
??Eredevisie top scorer
??26 goals in 30 matches
??Out of contract next summer
??Greece internationalpic.twitter.com/yR03BbwFoO— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) August 17, 2021
