Celtic’s search for attacking reinforcements appears to have led them back to a familiar name from Scottish football.
The Hoops are reportedly showing fresh interest in former Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie, just six months after he swapped Easter Road for Italy.
Celtic were admirers of Bowie before his January move to Hellas Verona and it seems that interest has not disappeared.
According to Italian outlet L’Arena, via Tutto Mercato Web, Celtic have now made “preliminary enquiries” about the striker’s availability.
Verona’s relegation from Serie A has inevitably created uncertainty around a number of players, and Bowie could be among those considering their options this summer.
Despite arriving midway through the season, the 22-year-old adapted impressively to Italian football.
He scored four goals in 14 Serie A appearances, a respectable return given the circumstances and Verona’s struggles near the bottom of the table.
Celtic’s interest also makes sense when viewed against the backdrop of their current striker situation.
The club’s attacking recruitment in January failed to provide the impact supporters had hoped for.
Tomáš Čvančara and Junior Adamu arrived on loan deals but didn’t establish themselves in Martin O’Neill’s plans. All three have since returned to their parent clubs.
There is also uncertainty surrounding several current options.
Kelechi Iheanacho has yet to extend his stay despite Celtic holding an option to keep him for another year, while Daizen Maeda continues to attract significant transfer interest following his outstanding end to the season.
That leaves striker recruitment near the top of Celtic’s priority list.
Bowie would bring something slightly different to the current forward line.
Having already proven himself in Scottish football before testing himself in Serie A, he combines familiarity with potential resale value and still has plenty of room for development.
Whether preliminary enquiries develop into anything more concrete remains to be seen.
But with Celtic expected to be active in the market and several attacking departures possible, Bowie is another name worth keeping an eye on as the summer window unfolds.
