Celtic Fan View: Splashing £7m on Edouard doesn't seem so expensive

For many of Celtic’s successful strikers throughout the decades, there’s always a defining moment that allows their career to take off. Odsonne Edouard experienced his last weekend. A beautifully-taken winning goal against Rangers to earn the Hoops three points, while down to 10 men, is something special and very few can boast about.

Since last week’s strike at Ibrox, the Frenchman has understandably been the talk of the town. On loan from Paris-Saint Germain, the 20-year-old has often struggled to make an impression throughout the season. But every campaign is long and all players have time on their side to convince the management and fans.

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It wasn’t so long ago that fans and the media had their minds made up about Edouard. He had no future at Parkhead apparently, and was some way short of the level Celtic strikers are expected to be at. However, that goal at the Broomloan Road end undoubtedly turned a few heads.

Celtic legend Davie Hay probably summed up how most fans feel about the young forward at the moment. He wrote in his Evening Times column: “I think if I would be in Celtic’s shoes, I’d be ready to put in that offer for him this summer. I wasn’t entirely sure about Edouard, but in recent weeks I think we have seen that he has got something about him.

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“And while we still look at £7m and think it is a helluva lot of money, the bottom line is that strikers don’t come cheaply. You can go out into the transfer market and spend £10m on a striker but he won’t come with any guarantee.”

Even Brendan Rodgers admitted earlier this term that he was “in no rush” to secure the young man’s long-term future. But the manager has always maintained a positive stance on Edouard to his credit even when others struggled to see the striker’s qualities. “The boy has big talent and is a real worker as well. It’s just a case of seeing how it goes in the second half of the season and we will review it then,” Rodgers said in December.

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The champions have a £7 million option to buy Edouard at the end of the season. It would make the Frenchman the club’s most expensive player ever should the Bhoys trigger that clause. A month or two ago you’d find few willing to see the Hoops spend that much on him. But it’s amazing what a winner at Ibrox can do for your reputation. Suddenly £7 million doesn’t seem so expensive.

There’s more substance to this debate though. Beyond becoming a hero with a moment that will live long in the memory, there’s been a clear progression in Edouard’s game that suggests he’s worth the investment. From looking lost and short of confidence during the early months of the season, Edouard, over the last two months, has become much more assured on and off the pitch.

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The France under-21 international looks a lot leaner and physically ready to take on the rough defenders of the SPFL. Tactically, he’s becoming more intelligent, able to play the lone-striker role or play slightly to the left wing in the 4-2-3-1 formation. And now he’s scoring with regularity, which is what every striker lives off. With eight goals to his name, there’s no reason why he can’t end up with 10 to 15 in total, which would be some return.

There’s no doubting Edouard’s work-rate, along with the other qualities he has. He’s quick, powerful, direct, good with his movement and mentally tough. That raw talent is slowly being moulded into something that consistently shines, which is testament to Rodgers’ coaching skills. Now, most Hoops supporters want to see that potential develop further by signing the kid at the end of the season.