Celtic could land Nancy’s own Giakoumakis by signing “physical” £3m ST

Giorgos Giakoumakis’ name has been doing the rounds in Celtic circles again recently after it was reported that Cruz Azul have put him up for sale.

The Daily Record reported on the news and added that the centre-forward would “love a return” to Parkhead, having left to sign for Atlanta United in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

He has scored seven goals in 18 appearances in all competitions on loan at PAOK so far this season, per Sofascore, and has scored four goals in his last three appearances for the Greek giants.

Why Celtic should not re-sign Giakoumakis

Despite the prompt from the Daily Record adding that the striker would like to return to the club, Wilfried Nancy should avoid a deal to bring the Greek international back to Parkhead.

Giakoumakis scored an eye-catching 19 goals in 15 starts across two seasons in the Scottish Premiership with the Hoops, per Sofascore, which shows that he was a lethal scorer in limited game time in Glasgow.

However, he has not scored more than seven goals in a league season since he fired in 19 goals in the MLS in his debut campaign with Atlanta in 2023, per Sofascore, which suggests that he is past his best days in front of goal.

At the age of 31, Giakoumakis is now at the wrong end of his career, and Celtic should, instead, be looking for a player who can be Nancy’s long-term number nine, rather than a short-term addition.

Therefore, the Scottish giants should use the upcoming January transfer window to bring in a younger number nine who can lead the line for many years to come at Parkhead.

The Celtic target who could be Nancy's own Giakoumakis

The Hoops have already been linked with several players ahead of the transfer window that opens later this week, and one of them could be Nancy’s own version of Giakoumakis.

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It was recently reported that Celtic are leading the race to sign GAIS centre-forward Ibrahim Diabate, who is valued at around £3m by the Swedish side, when the January transfer window opens for business.

The 26-year-old star, who is five years younger than Giakoumakis, has been in impressive form in the Allsvenskan in the 2025 campaign, and could be the clinical centre-forward that Nancy needs at Parkhead.

Giakoumakis scored 19 goals from 16.47 xG in his Premiership career with Celtic, per FotMob. This shows that he was an incredibly clinical marksman for the Scottish giants who rarely turned down a big opportunity to find the back of the net.

So far this season, current first-choice number nine Johnny Kenny has scored four goals from 6.03 xG in the Premiership for the Hoops, per FotMob, which shows that he has been incredibly wasteful in front of goal.

Diabate, who was described as a “super physical” striker by analyst Jan Schultz, has racked up 19 goals in 29 appearances for GAIS in the 2025 league campaign, outperforming his xG of 13.80.

His form this season is particularly impressive in comparison to Giakoumakis’ only full season at Parkhead, with more goals, more assists, and more aerial duels won per 90.

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His prowess in the air is eye-catching because Celtic have not had a physically intimidating centre-forward for some time. Johnny Kenny and Kelechi Iheanacho are more technical strikers in the current squad, and Kyogo Furuhashi, for all of his qualities, was not a physical presence.

Diabate’s form this year suggests that he has the physical and technical attributes to be Nancy’s own version of Giakoumakis, as a clinical striker who can make the most of his chances whilst also providing the team with an outlet at the top end of the pitch.

Whether or not he can translate that form and physicality over to the Premiership remains to be seen, but his impressive statistics suggest that he is worth taking a risk on in January, as he could be a brilliant addition to Celtic’s squad as the ruthless striker they currently lack.

Not just Ralston: Celtic flop must now never start again under Nancy

Celtic saw off a spirited Livingston following a first-half thriller on Saturday afternoon.

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Robbie Walls