The star, who has scored 15 goals in the SPFL, is now more likely to join Celtic than Bowie.

Celtic are looking to sign a new centre-forward in the January transfer window, with Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie linked with a move to Parkhead.

The Hoops have reportedly contacted their Scottish Premiership rivals to inquire about a deal for the Scotland No.9, who Hibs values ​​at £6.5m.

Bowie has started 18 league games for Hibernian this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists, according to SofaScore, with only Benjamin Nygren (10) scoring more league goals for Celtic.

The 23-year-old marksman is therefore already an established player in the Premiership, making him an attractive transfer target for Martin O’Neill.

Celtic striker more likely to sign than Kieron Bowie

However, new reports have emerged suggesting the Hibernian striker is unlikely to sign for the reigning Premiership champions before the end of the month.

According to the Daily Mail, Bowie is not among the three strikers most likely to sign for the club, suggesting he is not a top target for the position.

Reports have linked West Ham’s Callum Wilson, Lorient’s Mo Bamba, Chelsea’s David Datolo Fofana, Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise and Bowie with a move to Parkhead.

However, it added that Bamba, Fofana and Maswanhise are the three players “most likely” to move to Glasgow before the end of the January transfer window.

It comes after O’Neill was photographed in the stands watching Motherwell’s SFA Cup game against Ross County last weekend, in which Maswanhise scored, but it remains to be seen whether the Hoops will make any concrete approach for the Zimbabwean international.

Why Celtic should sign Tawanda Maswanhise

The Scottish giants should press ahead with bringing the Motherwell star to Parkhead in the coming weeks. That’s because he could be an even better signing than Bowie, and Celtic are still trying to land a replacement for Kyōgo Furuhashi.

As shown above, Kyogo scored 85 goals in his time in Glasgow before moving to Rennes for £10 million in January last year, while Makoto Yamada, who is yet to score for Celtic, is the only striker to sign for a fee after leaving the club.

Mazwanhise is a forward with the ability and Premiership experience to arrive at Parkhead as O’Neill’s main option up front, and could be better than the Japan international who has recently been linked with a return to the club.

Hailed as a “live wire” by analyst Kai Watson, the Motherwell star has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season, according to Transfermarkt, while Kyogo has scored 0 goals from 5.12xG in the Championship against Birmingham.

Comparing Mashwanhise’s current form to Kyogo’s performances in the first half of last season at Celtic before his move to Rennes, the Zimbabwean international still appears to be the better option for the Hoops.

As you can see from the table above, Motherwell’s centre-forward scored as many goals as Keigo in last season’s Premiership, but he did so from less than half his xG.

These statistics suggest that Maswanhise is far more clinical in front of goal than the Japanese shooter, while his respective duel figures show that the 23-year-old will also contribute more to the team from a physical standpoint.

The Hoops’ target is also a player with a proven track record in the Premiership, as evidenced by his strong form in the division this season, meaning he could hit the ground running at Parkhead as a signed player who won’t need time to adapt to the league and can make an impact from day one.

Maswanhise therefore appears to be an upgrade on Kyogo and given that he has scored two more goals than Bowie in the Premiership, he could be a great addition to the squad and that is why supporters will be happy with this latest update.