Celtic have completed the signing of striker Tomas Cvancara from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season.
The Czechia international had been tenuously linked with rivals Rangers online before reports emerged from Sky Germany that the hitman was headed for Glasgow’s East End instead.
The Hoops have been in desperate need of a striker since the summer after selling Adam Idah on deadline day and replacing him with free agent Kelechi Iheanacho, who has spent most of his time at Parkhead injured.
They were linked with former hitman Kyogo Furuhashi on a loan return from Birmingham City nearly exactly a year on from selling the Japanese forward to Stade Rennais, but the 31-year-old has stayed south to fight for his place.
There was also reports that a loan enquiry for Leeds United man Joel Piroe were ‘laughed away’ due to the Elland Road side sharing investors with Rangers.
Johnny Kenny and Daizen Maeda have shared spells through the middle for Celtic this season, but neither have had a consistent level of performance for any length of time this season, paving the way for Cvancara to make the position his own.
Cvancara told club media: “It’s a massive honour to sign for this club.
“I am so excited to get started and make my own contribution to the team. We have lots of challenges ahead of us and I am ready to get going and do everything I can to meet these and bring success to our brilliant supporters.
“Celtic is one of the great names in world football and I am delighted to be here to play my part.”
The 25-year-old has spent this season on loan at Turkish side Antalyaspor, scoring just once in eleven appearances this season in all competitions.
He made the move to his parent club from Sparta Prague in 2023 for a reported fee of £9million, scoring eight times in 54 fixtures having played some games as a right-winger rather than through the middle.
In his homeland with Sparta, Cvancara enjoyed the best spell of his career as he fired home 24 goals in 49 matches for the Czech capital side in an eighteen months spell from 2022-2023.
He has represented his national side on eight occasions, scoring once in a 3-1 victory over Poland in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Cvancara has also played at Celtic Park already, coming off the bench for Czech side Jablonec in a 3-0 second leg defeat in Europa League qualifying in 2021 at the beginning of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as Celts’ boss.
Celtic travel to Tynecastle to face league leaders Hearts this Sunday in a game which could have huge repercussions as to where the league trophy goes at the end of this season. Cvancara scored twice on his Monchengladbach debut, and could be in line to repeat the trick for the Glasgow side in a potential baptism of fire.
