Celtic needs a proven striker. Does Bowie fit the bill?

Earlier in the week I wrote about Cammy Devlin, and I dismissed the idea that he could play for Celtic. I genuinely don’t think he would improve us one iota. I don’t think he’s a particularly good player, and I certainly don’t think he’s Celtic standard.

Some people, quite deliberately I suspect, chose to misrepresent that as SPFL snobbery. It wasn’t. It was Hearts snobbery. Devlin has been at Hearts for years. He hasn’t suddenly become a Celtic-level footballer because the narrative suits someone this season. He isn’t one, and we all know he isn’t.

I understand why our current situation muddies the waters for some people.

When they see Tony Ralston and Johnny Kenny starting regularly, or Luke McCowan playing an important role under the new manager, they conclude that Celtic have regressed to the point where “SPFL-level” players now count as acceptable. We already have several in the squad. We have some starting every week. I can see how people arrive at that conclusion.

But I am not, and never have been, an SPFL snob. I have no issue with Celtic signing the best young talent in this league.

Cammy Devlin simply does not belong in that category. That’s why I oppose that idea. Show me an SPFL player of the right age, with obvious development potential, and I would have no issue with Celtic going after him.

That brings me to another name doing the rounds: David Watson.

I haven’t seen anything from him yet that convinces me he’s worth pursuing. I’m not convinced he improves the squad, but if the manager believes he can mould him into something useful, I’d accept that. He wouldn’t be my first choice.

Personally, I think our priority in that area should be a tough, defensive midfielder.

That’s one of the areas of the squad that worries me most, and I’ll feel far more comfortable once I see us shopping seriously in that market. Still, that’s not the point of this piece. The point is that the Devlin discussion was never about snobbery.

To underline that, I watched the Edinburgh derby specifically to look at another Scottish talent regularly described as “Celtic capable.”

Kieron Bowie scored a very good goal, and he took it well. I wanted to see whether there was a player there who could realistically fit into this Celtic side.

I think there is. Bowie would fit in and contribute.

I don’t think he’s at the level some people are claiming, but he is certainly worth monitoring.

Bowie has one very important thing going for him. He keeps scoring as he moves up levels.

He did it in the lower leagues, and each time he stepped up, he proved he belonged. That’s incredibly difficult for a striker, and he’s managed it consistently. That alone marks him out as someone with real potential.

Two major issues follow from that.

First, if we sign him now, as some are urging, are we seriously saying this is the player we trust to carry a title challenge?

Whoever comes in up front needs to deliver around fifteen goals between now and the end of the season. That’s an enormous burden to place on someone who can clearly play in the SPFL, but perhaps not under that pressure.

Second, there’s the price. Anyone suggesting we could sign Bowie for £3–4 million is living in fantasy land.

Hibernian FC believe they have a potential star, and they’re entitled to value him accordingly. Even if they set the price at £3–4 million, they would add at least another £2 million simply because Celtic are the buyer.

That’s the Celtic tax, and I don’t even blame clubs for applying it.

This is why I never believed Lennon Miller was realistic. Once fees reach £5–6 million for domestic players, the question becomes obvious: are there better options outside Scotland? The answer is almost always yes.

That’s why I would never have supported paying the sort of money it would have taken for Motherwell to even engage in talks.

So, the question with Bowie is straightforward. Is he good enough to justify a £6 million fee and the responsibility of carrying us to a title?

That’s a huge ask. Another option would be to agree a deal for the summer, bring in a proven striker now, and allow Bowie to develop as a backup with a full pre-season under his belt. That makes far more sense.

These are serious decisions, and they demand clear thinking. I don’t see buying him now, at the fee Hibs would demand, as value for money. In the summer, it might be, if you accept that you’re buying potential rather than a finished article.

Because he isn’t one yet, and anyone who’s watched him knows that.

I like the lad. He played well, took his goal superbly, and he looks like a player on an upward curve. But improvement doesn’t automatically mean “good enough,” and it certainly doesn’t mean “good enough right now.”

And right now, Right Now matters.

We need someone proven. Someone who can arrive and make an immediate impact. Bowie would be an upgrade on what we currently have, no question. He’s a better striker than anyone at Celtic Park at this moment in time.

Whether he represents good value, though, is a completely different debate.

That’s the real argument anyone pushing this move needs to confront.