There is nothing quite like a social media rumour that sends football supporters into a meltdown. Cue Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

The Japanese talisman may not have scored during the defending champions' 4-0 hammering of Kilmarnock on Flag Day last Sunday at Celtic Park. The 29-year-old was involved in the thick of the action and provided the assist for German winger Nicolas Kuhn to score the third goal in the rout.

All was well and good until Kyogo went down and suffered a heavy knock after a collision with Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robby McCrorie. The Celtic fans howled for a penalty but nothing was given by the referee Don Robertson as Kyogo lay sprawled out on the turf. Kyogo went on to play the full 90 minutes which left the Celtic supporters bemused and bewildered, especially as the points were already in the bag for Brendan Rodgers' men.

However, distressing footage then emerged on social media as Kyogo limped away from Celtic Park. That was enough to send many fans into a frenzy as the rumour mill gathered momentum. Questions are now being asked if Kyogo will be declared fit enough to make the first team XI that takes to the field at Easter Road against Hibernian this weekend.

The Celtic supporters have bombarded social media in their droves this week to express their growing concerns as to why the club have failed to purchase a new striker in the transfer window thus far. Alarmingly Kyogo is the only fit and proper attacker at Rodgers' disposal right now and the supporter's patience is wearing thin.

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The situation jars completely with what Rodgers said last month as the club embarked upon the successful pre-season tour of the USA which saw them record three straight wins over MLS outfit DC United and English Premiership champions Manchester City as well as Chelsea. The Irishman said: "I think my ideal scenario was to have three (strikers), Kyogo, one other one and bring through a young player. It’s very difficult for a club of this size to have three number-one strikers.

"You can live with two because we play so many games and the specific nature of the games then we can change it about. Three is very difficult but I also think for development I want to bring some young, maybe a player from within.

"Three is a really good number. Two, I would say to be number one strikers, and one that we can nurture and develop.”

There you have it, straight from the manager's mouth. Celtic don't have a second number one striker to play in the number nine role let alone a third choice. The club are currently in the midst of an ongoing saga involving Norwich City and Republic of Ireland frontman Adam Idah. Idah's nine goals last season helped Celtic to the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double and the club had a £4 million bid rejected for his services on July 3rd. As of writing, a second bid has been launched by the club.

Alternatives to Idah have been mooted with Aberdeen's Bojan Miovski and Hearts' centre-forward Lawrence Shankland thrown into the mix. Neither link has been as concrete as the Idah one mainly because Rodgers covets the Canaries man. He has since Idah bagged the winner in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on May 25.

So, why are Celtic playing some sort of Russian Roulette when it comes to signing a second striker in the transfer window? Why is the Celtic hierarchy pursuing a wait-and-see policy when Idah is the attacker Rodgers wants and there is a deal just waiting to be done at the right price? Celtic should be finding solutions to the striker conundrum not creating dramas or crises.

The solution is there in abundance according to the latest financial update to the London Stock Exchange where a club statement read: "Celtic has enjoyed a strong on-pitch performance in the 2023/24 football season having won the domestic double. In addition, it has enjoyed a successful year in generating gains from player trading.

"As a result of such gains and a strong end to the season from a footballing perspective, Celtic now expects earnings for the year ended 30 June 2024 will be significantly higher than previous expectations, which were formed before the conclusion of the season and before certain player disposals.

"Player registration valuations and player trading can and often do materially influence Celtic's financial performance in addition to trading revenue. The summer transfer window is underway and following the closure of the window and the finalisation of the year-end balance sheet review, the club will then be in a position to confirm the extent of its earnings by publishing its results for the year ended 30 June 2024, in line with its usual timetable in mid-September 2024."

All of this comes after Celtic hit a record £119.9m in revenues and announced they had cash holdings of £72.3m last year. That's not including the fact that Danish international Matt O'Riley is also attracting interest from cash-rich teams in highly prestigious European leagues that will see him become Scottish football's record sale as well as an automatic place in the new incarnation of the Champions League which could also earn the club as much as £60m.

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In short, Celtic are akin to the Harry Enfield comedy character of the 1980s - 'Loadsamoney'. So far Celtic in Enfield speak have failed to: "Whop your wad, whop your wad, whop your wad on the counter!" Celtic are awash with dosh. It's there for all to see in black and white. The money men can't hide it even if they want to. Somehow the Celtic board appear reluctant to part with any of the surplus... yet! Much to the supporters' growing frustrations.

The Celtic manager has constantly reassured the fans that the club will be stronger by the August 30 transfer deadline date. That remains to be seen although the club still has time to dip into the funds and equip the manager with exactly what he needs. They could start by releasing a sufficient fee that will secure Idah's permanent switch to Glasgow's east end.

(Image: Paul Devlin - SNS Group)

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Ironically Celtic will return to the venue where Idah burst onto the Scottish football scene when he tucked away a brace of penalties in the capital city to secure a vital 2-1 win for Rodgers' men over Hibernian at Easter Road back in February.

It was Rodgers' first taste of an away victory in Edinburgh against Hibs as the then on-loan Idah marked his first start for Celtic by scoring a spot-kick inside 10 minutes and then firing home a double from 12 yards with a 92nd-minute winner as the visitors showed 'the mentality of champions' according to the manager.

Celtic couldn't possibly entertain the prospect of a trip to Easter Road this Sunday without having a recognisable striker leading the line - could they? Why would the club risk dropping points at the start of the new campaign by not providing the manager with one of his key squad fundamentals - a second striker?

Even the spectre of an injury to Kyogo and the social media rumours currently doing the rounds should be enough to put the Celtic board on red alert or at least spook them into taking some action on the transfer front. The hierarchy at the club needs to start listening to the manager. He wants two strikers to function in the number nine role.

The Celtic board now have to show Rodgers a different mentality. One that smacks of ambition. Granted the spending shouldn't stop there as signing Idah alone is not the height of Celtic's lofty aspirations under Rodgers, far from it, but his addition would certainly let the supporters and manager breathe a bit more easily.

In February, Idah kept his cool and stuck the ball in the pokey from 12 yards twice as Celtic restored their three-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership. It was a lead that was never to be extinguished. That night at Easter Road Idah performed his duties as a Celtic player.

If those at the top of the Celtic tree fail to arm Rodgers with another striker - preferably Idah - before August 30 then it will be classed as a gross dereliction of theirs.