Celtic's Giorgos Giakoumakis transfer position - TCW Panel

What should the club's position be on the Greece international?

Sean Martin

Technically, Giakoumakis has only had two good scoring seasons in his career. Also technically – in the other sense of the word – he arguably doesn’t fit the prototype of an Ange Postecoglou striker.

Those two seasons were last term with Celtic and the one before with VVV-Venlo so, in terms of his stock, it’s hotter than it’s ever been before. The Hoops also got him for around £2.5million so potentially turning that into, say, an eight-figure sum would make good business sense for the club…. but perhaps only in the short-term.

Because Giakoumakis is going to be integral – no, scratch that, already is integral – to the fortunes of Celtic as a squad this campaign.

He was last term too. I would go so far as to say it upsets the apple cart in a tangible sense more to sell him than it would to sell Josip Juranovic, albeit a lot of the recruitment questions posed by letting either go would be similar given both deals expire in 2026.

READ MORE: Kyogo vs Giakoumakis - The battle to be Celtic top dog is more nuanced than you think

With the Greek, fundamentally I see it as a matter of importance. Whether he is a consistent first-pick going forward or not, Giakoumakis was front and centre during the title run-in last season in a way that is almost unquantifiable.

Why was it unquantifiable when he does the most quantifiable thing on a park you can do? It was because he made it so that Kyogo Furuhashi wasn’t really missed all that much when you think about it.

How do you replace that sort of impact for a season you’re competing on four fronts? If anything Celtic should be looking to add another forward to their options, not take last season’s joint top league scorer out the equation.

Tony Haggerty

He ain't no Eliot Ness but Giakoumakis has been declared "untouchable".

Is it any wonder? Giakoumaks is a very popular player down Glasgow's east end. One-touch finishes, deft finishes, diving headers, overhead kicks - lock, stock the lot. The big man has it all in his striking armoury.

The Greek is not exactly shorn of confidence either. The double GG should actually be changed to a triple G - as in Giorgos 'Gallus' Giakoumakis.

Last season was a case in point. He told everybody that Celtic would win the league because they had better players than rivals Rangers - he was proven right.

Why should Celtic even entertain offers for a striker who is pivotal to the club's future plans?

But untouchable? Well, to paraphrase a line – albeit about baseball – from the famous film: "A man stands alone at the plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. There he stands alone but in the field, what? Part of a team. If his team don't field, what is he? Nothing. Sunny day, the stands are full of fans, what does he have to say? I get nowhere unless the team wins."

Giakoumakis is untouchable all right – but only because he doesn't play for himself. He is part of one big team. Postecglou has seen to that.

Aidan Macdonald

To be blunt, Celtic just should not sell Giorgos Giakoumakis.

He was vitally important in the second half of last season as the Hoops clinched the league title. His goal tally between January and May was outstanding and, without him, particularly given the injury to Kyogo on Boxing Day, I do not think it is unfair to say it would have been a lot more difficult for the Bhoys to be crowned champions.

The Greece international offers something completely different to the team from an attacking point of view and has also shown he can be an effective tool when Postecoglou’s side is having to soak up pressure too.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou's not-so-secret Celtic weapon most opponents 'won't be able to live with'

A prime example of this was when he came off the bench during the Europa League game away to Hungarian side Ferencvàros and was able to win smart fouls to slow down the game.

According to the same reports linking him with Premier League interest, the 27-year-old is ‘happy at Celtic’ and the club seem to have no intention to sell him. This should be the tone that continues between now and the transfer window shutting. 

With four years left on his deal, there should not be any rush to move on a player of his quality unless there is a truly exceptional bid made.

This piece is an extract from today’s Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out at 4pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team. 

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