Celtic's place at the top of the Scottish Premiership table is safe for now after their rivals were beaten on Sunday, leaving them four points clear.
The Hoops smashed St Mirren 3-0 on Saturday to move four points ahead of Rangers at the summit, and the Gers went on to lose 3-2 to Ross County on Sunday.
Brendan Rodgers' side could see the gap reduced to one point if their rivals win their game in hand against Dundee on Wednesday night, but the title is still in their hands as it stands.
The Scottish giants are fighting to avoid a trophyless end to the 2023/24 campaign and they still have the Premiership title and the SFA Cup to compete for over the coming weeks.
Attention will then turn to the summer transfer window and how Celtic can improve their playing squad by dipping into the market to add to their options.
Celtic's interest in prolific forward
It was recently reported by Football Insider that the Hoops are one of a number of clubs interested in a possible summer swoop for Blackburn Rovers star Sammie Szmodics.
The initial report claimed that Celtic and Brentford are battling it out to land his signature ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, after his prolific season in the English Championship.
It also added that other unnamed teams in the bottom half of the Premier League could also provide competition to sign the Republic of Ireland international.
Football Insider followed up on that with an update shortly after and they claimed that the Bhoys could be blown out of the water if Premier League teams decide to act upon their interest with firm offers, due to the financial advantage they have over the Scottish side.
However, there was no mention of how much Blackburn would demand for the attacker and it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic can swoop in before others have the chance to make their move.
Rodgers could land a dream partner for current Hoops star Adam Idah, who is currently on loan from Norwich City, if he can get a deal for Szmodics over the line.
Football Scotland report that the Canaries are likely to demand a fee within the region of £6m for the Irish marksman, and claim that is within the club's transfer budget for the summer.
With this in mind, the board must push the boat out to land Szmodics and Idah to bolster Rodgers' attack for next season, as the prolific duo could form a terrific partnership at the top end of the pitch.
Adam Idah's form for Celtic
The Hoops snapped the 6 foot 3 striker up on loan from Norwich on deadline day at the start of February, and he has been a superb addition to the squad.
Idah had scored six goals in 28 Championship matches, including 12 starts, for the Yellows during the first half of the ssaon before his switch to Glasgow, and has already bettered that tally at Parkhead.
The 23-year-old dynamo has plundered an eye-catching seven goals and two assists in just ten appearances for Celtic in the Premiership since the start of February.
Appearances
33
10
Goals
11
7
Minutes per goal
200
65
Conversion rate
13%
30%
Big chances missed
21
6
As you can see in the table above, Idah has been far more effective in front of goal than Kyogo Furuhashi in the Premiership, with a goal every 65 minutes of action in comparison to the Japan international's one every 200.
No Celtic player has outperformed their xG by more than the Irish star, who has scored seven goals from 5.24 xG. Meanwhile, no Hoops man has underperformed their xG by more than Kyogo, who has scored 11 goals from 15.4 xG in the Premiership so far this season.
These impressive statistics suggest that Rodgers should be pushing for the club to sign Idah to lead the line as the starting number nine for the team next term, as he has been a prolific addition to the side.
He would also be the perfect foil for a signing like Szmodics, who operates in an attacking midfield role and stands at 5 foot 6, as he has won 69% of his aerial duels in the Premiership and can provide a physical presence up front that allows the smaller whiz to focus on his work in possession.
Sammie Szmodics' goalscoring record this season
The Ireland international has plundered a fantastic 30 goals and four assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn so far this season.
Former Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson hailed Szmodics as "incredible" at the start of the year, and his sensational statistics this term back that comment up.
Appearances
41
Sofascore rating
7.28
xG
19.21
Goals
24
Minutes per goal
152
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star has been a prolific presence in the number ten position for Blackburn in the Championship, with more than one goal every other game on average.
24 goals from an xG of 19.21 means that he has outperformed his expected tally by almost five goals, which speaks to how clinical the Irish whiz has been in front of goal.
Szmodics, who has played the bulk of his games as an attacking midfielder but can also play as a centre-forward, could thrive alongside Idah at the top end of the pitch for Celtic.
His compatriot could occupy opposition defenders with his physical presence, standing at 6 foot 3 with an impressive aerial duel success rate, and free up the current Blackburn star to make runs and pick up clever positions in the box to find the back of the net in an attacking midfield or second striker role.
Both players have been lethal scorers for their respective clubs this season, both outperforming their xG, and could combine to form a sensational pairing for Celtic next season to improve Rodgers' attack as they attempt to compete domestically and in Europe.
It is now down to the board to ensure that they can wrap up deals for both attackers during the upcoming summer transfer window to provide the manager with a clinical forward line for the 2024/25 campaign.