Frank McAvennie has urged Celtic to push the boat out in order to sign up Swedish striker John Guidetti.

The 22-year-old, on loan from Manchester City, has scored nine goals in 10 games for Ronny Deila's side this season.

And although the player will have options which could well price him out of Celtic's range come the end of the campaign, McAvennie is still insistent that Celtic maintain a degree of pulling power.

The former Hoops striker believes that Guidetti - out of contract in the summer - is the man who can fill the void since Gary Hooper left the club and wants Celtic to start courting him for a permanent deal.

McAvennie also sees parallels between himself and the charismatic Guidetti, pointing out that having a bit of front while playing your football in Glasgow can go a long way on the pitch.

"He reminds me of the likes of myself, Charlie [Nicholas] and wee Mo [Johnston]. He's got a bit of cheek about him, he is a wee bit gallus and I love that in a player," he said.

"When you come in to play for Celtic that can give you a real edge. You need to have that belief and that bit of arrogance, especially on the pitch. You see that confidence, belief, whatever you want to call it, come out on the park and that rubs off on everyone.

"I've really liked what I've seen of the boy. Since Gary Hooper left there hasn't really been anyone at the club whom you would regard as an out-and-out goalscorer, someone that you could look to produce something out of nothing.

"But I do think that Celtic should be starting to think of making him an attractive offer.

"I don't think that Manchester City will be an option for him and if you are settled at a club and scoring goals then your confidence will be high.

"He is only a young lad who will get better and better. He would fit into the club's policy of signing a player with a lot of potential who could subsequently be sold on at a profit further down the line.

"I still think Celtic are an attractive club. If the boy is playing and scoring then he might see the sense in staying put for a couple of years and kicking on with his career.

"In that case it becomes an arrangement that is mutually beneficial to both parties."

He went on: "Strikers that you can count on to put the ball in the back of the net are always going to cost an arm and a leg. If you have got one in front of you then it stands to reason that you'll want to do everything possible to keep him.

"I think Guidetti and Celtic is a match made in heaven -they'd be as good for him as he would be for them. It is a superb platform to play football on and it would give him the chance to really make a name for himself."

Should the striker make it clear that he regards his future as lying elsewhere and that his time at Celtic has been a stop-gap in the early years of his career, the onus will be on the club to make the most of him while they have him.

However, McAvennie warns that such a scenario can be unsettling for the dressing room.

"If that is the case then you could have a guy being kept out of the team for a player that everyone knows won't be there in the long-term and that doesn't do much for your confidence," he pointed out.

"You have Stefan Scepovic there and it would give him a bit of a knock if he knew that he was being overlooked for someone who wasn't part of the bigger picture.

"But, to be fair, I'd always like to see both of these guys being played together.

"Celtic are a club known for their flair and attacking ambitions, and you want to go out and try to win games with a bit of style. You want players who believe they're going to score every time they walk on the pitch and, if you can establish a decent partnership, you go a long way to getting that."