John Hartson has questioned the decision to sign Adam Idah from Norwich City on a permanent basis last summer.
The Ireland international spent six months on loan at Parkhead the previous season, netting eight goals in 15 league games (all figures from Fbref).
This prompted the Scottish giants to pursue a permanent move, and an agreement worth £9.5 million was eventually reached, according to Sky Sports.
The 23-year-old has started only two of the team’s first eight league games this season, coming off the bench four more times.
Idah had only one league goal this season, although he did score once in his two Champions League games.
John Hartson questions Norwich City agreement
Hartson has questioned the £9 million cost spent to buy Idah from Norwich last summer, raising questions about his long-term future with the club.
While he hasn’t criticised the player too harshly, he believes Celtic could have spent that money better.
“I don’t know how many were on Celtic’s shopping list, I have to be honest with you,” Hartson told Go Radio.
“But they targeted Adam Idah.
“I believe we were all impressed, rather than sucked in, last season.
“I believe he made 19 appearances, many of which came off the bench, and I was delighted when he scored the winning goal against Rangers in the cup final.
“He made a big hero of himself.” He made a big name for himself. By the way, I scored some key goals in the run-in.
“He hasn’t struck the ground running.
“One of the reasons is that it’s really difficult to remove Kyogo [Furuhashi].
“When you feel like you’re the next man in and not the number one striker, it might cause you to lose confidence and think, ‘The manager isn’t putting me in this week,’ in terms of being the main number nine.
“I believe that can occasionally undermine one’s confidence.
“I’m not going to critique him too harshly, but I’m not sure who else Celtic had their sights on last season. He cost £9 million.
“Many admirers may simply remark, “Well.” ‘Could we have got a better one?’ One of the reasons Celtic signed him was because he performed well on loan.
“He seemed the obvious one.”
Adam Idah’s Norwich City stint
| Adam Idah – Norwich City league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com) | ||||
| Season | Appearances (Starts) | Goals (Assists) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 12 (1) | 0 | ||
| 2020-21 | 17 (1) | 3 (1) | ||
| 2021-22 | 17 (6) | 1 (1) | ||
| 2022-23 | 25 (11) | 2 (1) | ||
| 2023-24 | 28 (12) | 6 (1) | ||
| 2024-25 | 1 (0) | 0 | ||
Idah debuted into adult football with Norwich, joining their academy in 2017 and made his Canaries debut in August 2019.
However, he struggled to establish himself as a significant figure at Carrow Road, leading to his loan move to Celtic last January.
During his tenure with the Norfolk club, he appeared in 100 league games and scored 12 goals.
Idah’s contract with Celtic runs until the summer of 2029.
Norwich cashed in on Idah at the exact right time
Idah was never able to establish himself as a significant member of the Norwich first team, therefore the club did well to cash in on him last summer for such a low price.
That £9.5 million appears even better in light of Idah’s current challenges for playing time in Glasgow.
While he is undoubtedly a great forward with a lot of potential, it was impossible to envision him realising that potential by continuing at Carrow Road.
His loan spell at Celtic last year demonstrated his abilities, but Brendan Rodgers’ team has yet to get the full potential from him since his permanent move.
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