Celtic have agreed deal to signal their subsequent Izaguirre

Celtic are ramping up their efforts to enhance their squad to ensure that it’s in the perfect place attainable to assault the 2025/26 marketing campaign throughout all competitions.

The sale of Nicolas Kuhn to Como and the ACL damage to Jota, who is ready to be out till the flip of the 12 months, meant {that a} winger was at all times going to be excessive on the agenda for the Hoops.

Celtic have reportedly agreed a deal price as much as £5m with Royal Antwerp for Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha in an try to fill the void the Kuhn and Jota conditions left within the squad.

The 24-year-old ahead is now as a result of endure a medical this week earlier than arriving at Parkhead to compete with Daizen Maeda, Hyun-jun Yang, and James Forrest for a beginning berth.

Celtic agree deal to signal new defender

Balikwisha shouldn’t be set to be the one new arrival to hyperlink up with Brendan Rodgers‘ squad in Glasgow earlier than the tip of the week, although, as they’re additionally poised so as to add one other defender to the group.

In accordance with Sky Sports activities journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic have agreed a take care of Boca Juniors to signal skilled left-back Marcelo Saracchi this week.

The reporter claims that the Uruguay worldwide is because of journey to London to endure a medical earlier than his official unveiling as a brand new Celtic participant.

Joseph provides, although, that there is not going to be an choice to make the deal everlasting on the finish of the season, which meaens that he’ll return to Boca Juniors subsequent summer time.

What Marcelo Saracchi might convey to Celtic

The loanee ace might are available in as a really stable back-up possibility and various to Kieran Tierney at left-back, with the defensive expertise to be Emilio Izaguirre 2.0 at Parkhead.

After arriving from South America, Honduras particularly, in 2010, Izaguirre went on to play a whopping 271 matches in all competitions for Celtic, profitable seven Scottish Premiership titles, per Transfermarkt.

The Honduras worldwide averaged 5.3 tackles and interceptions per recreation throughout his European profession with the Hoops, per WhoScored, and Saracchi might present an analogous defensive presence down the left flank.

As was the case with Izaguirre, the Uruguay worldwide shouldn’t be a flying full-back who’s prone to ship 5 targets and ten assists, with not more than three targets or 4 assists in a single season in his profession, however he’s a reliable defender at left-back.

As you may see within the desk above, Saracchi has largely been an lively defender during the last 5 seasons with greater than three tackles and interceptions per 90 throughout all 5 campaigns mixed.

These statistics present that he is usually a related left-back to Izaguirre at European degree for Celtic as a result of he’s a defence-first full-back who likes to get caught in with challenges to chop out opposition assaults and win the ball again for his facet.

While Saracchi could solely be on mortgage for a motive, somewhat than a long-term signing who can win seven league titles, he might observe in Izaguirre’s footsteps as one other stable defender from South America who can do a job at left-back to assist the Hoops in massive European matches within the Champions League.