{"id":49936,"date":"2026-07-10T02:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T06:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/celtic-ready-to-sign-new-players-as-soon-as-possible-after-negotiations\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T02:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T06:15:12","slug":"celtic-ready-to-sign-new-players-as-soon-as-possible-after-negotiations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/celtic-ready-to-sign-new-players-as-soon-as-possible-after-negotiations\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtic ready to sign new players as soon as possible after negotiations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/celtic-ready-to-sign-new-players-as-soon-as-possible-after-negotiations\/#Durans_performance_in_the_Champions_League_last_season\" >Duran&#8217;s performance in the Champions League last season<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/celtic-ready-to-sign-new-players-as-soon-as-possible-after-negotiations\/#Why_Celtic_could_sign_an_upgrade_with_Duran\" >Why Celtic could sign an upgrade with Duran<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/celtic-ready-to-sign-new-players-as-soon-as-possible-after-negotiations\/#Just_better_Celtic_could_sign_new_player_like_%E2%80%98100m_winger\" >Just better: Celtic could sign new player like &#8216;\u00a3100m winger&#8217;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>It&#8217;s almost 18 months since Celtic allowed Togo Furuhashi to move to Rennes, but it&#8217;s safe to say that the \u00a310m sale of the Japanese striker didn&#8217;t go down well with everyone.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>The 31-year-old failed to score at all for France until joining Birmingham City just six months later, and has since ended the 2025\/26 campaign with his only goal in England&#8217;s second tier.<\/p>\n<p>    As for the players returning to Parkhead, they have signed a number of strikers, but only Makoto Yamada has actually paid a transfer fee, with Kyogo&#8217;s compatriot being released on loan in January after failing to score at all for Glasgow.<\/p>\n<p>Daen Maeda&#8217;s heroics were ultimately enough to drag Martin O&#8217;Neill&#8217;s side to the edge of title contention, but hanging on without an elite number nine at the top is simply not sustainable.<\/p>\n<p>    Thankfully, the arrival of Camilo Duran from Qarabag could be enough to change things.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-duran-performed-in-the-champions-league-last-season\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Durans_performance_in_the_Champions_League_last_season\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>Duran&#8217;s performance in the Champions League last season<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a reported \u00a36 million, Duran will join Celtic as the first signing of the summer under Colombian manager O&#8217;Neill, who has just scored 25 goals and assisted 25 goals in 45 games for Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n<p>    A versatile forward who can play either from the right or centrally, the left-footed player proved himself as a striker last season, particularly in the Champions League.<\/p>\n<p>In just 10 league appearances, the 24-year-old scored five times, missed just three &#8220;big chances&#8221; and boasted a goal conversion rate of 25% as Qarabag progressed to the play-off round.<\/p>\n<p>In the tournament a year ago, Keigo only scored one goal in seven games, missed three &#8220;big chances&#8221; himself, and had a goal conversion rate of just 10%.<\/p>\n<p>    The \u00a36 million man&#8217;s recent record, with five goals against Benfica, Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt and Newcastle United, certainly bodes well for the impact he can have if Celtic qualify for the Champions League.<\/p>\n<p>Duran&#8217;s finish away in Lisbon was particularly eye-catching, as he darted out from behind from the left channel and slotted home diagonally in sumptuous style.<\/p>\n<p>Looks may be deceiving, but first impressions are positive, with Duran a player with a great combination of speed and trickery who is expected to appear all over the front line.<\/p>\n<p>He&#8217;s a player O&#8217;Neal doesn&#8217;t have right now, but is he actually the right No. 9 the Hoops need?<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-celtic-could-still-sign-an-upgrade-on-duran\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Celtic_could_sign_an_upgrade_with_Duran\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>Why Celtic could sign an upgrade with Duran<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Following the pre-season game between Celtic and Shelbourne, O&#8217;Neill made it clear this week that he wants another striker in the building &#8211; someone who can be a ruthless figurehead in front of goal.<\/p>\n<section class=\"emaki-custom-block emaki-custom-pullquote\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<div class=\"emaki-custom pullquote\" id=\"custom_block_21\">\n<div class=\"custom_block-content pullquote\">\n<p><em>\u201cI think he (Duran) can link play-ups and things like that, but I think he could probably do it with someone who can put the ball in the net.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>O&#8217;Neill also revealed he is keen to bring Kelechi Iheanacho back into the squad, along with Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports, after confirming the club were in talks to sign a new contract with the Nigerian player.<\/p>\n<p>    Iheanacho, who is currently out of contract after his contract expired last month, may still have a future in Glasgow, but O&#8217;Neill is keen to get a deal done as soon as possible to give the 29-year-old a full pre-season.<\/p>\n<p>As the Hoops manager admitted, Duran may be a nimble linkman, but that&#8217;s exactly what Celtic need in front of goal, and the fit and mobile Iheanacho is likely to provide that.<\/p>\n<p>Duran, of course, returned to Azerbaijan and scored 15 goals, but before that he had only scored six goals in the top flight and is still finding his feet in terms of being a truly consistent and clinical presence in front of goal.<\/p>\n<p>Iheanacho has his problems, no doubt, but when you look back at the player who scored 61 goals in 232 games for Leicester City and 21 goals in just 64 games for Manchester City, he was simply extremely effective when he left for a mere cameo last season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-container\">\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" style=\"\" align=\"\" summary=\"\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"3\" scope=\"col\" style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Iheanacho&#8217;s career<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>club<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>game<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>the goal<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>leicester<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>232<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>61<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>man city<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>64<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>twenty one<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>celtic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>twenty four<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>9<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Boro<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>15<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>seville<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>11<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Nigeria<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>58<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>15<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<p>His legs may not be what they once were, but does he know how it ends? Despite appearing in only 24 games, he finished the 2025\/26 season with nine goals in all competitions.<\/p>\n<p>Iheanacho, who became a cult hero in particular for his crucial penalty kicks away at Kilmarnock and Motherwell, scored at a rate of one goal per 99 minutes in the Premiership and boasted a goal conversion rate of 25%.<\/p>\n<p>Duran scored nine goals in Azerbaijan&#8217;s top flight, surpassing that five, but he only scored once every 233 minutes and had a goal conversion rate of just 12%.<\/p>\n<p>This suggests that if O&#8217;Neal can get Iheanacho up to speed, the former Foxes star will likely be the asset to build the attack, with Iheanacho proving very effective last season in fits and starts.<\/p>\n<p>    He was calm and collected in front of goal, his left foot was deadly, and it is no exaggeration to say that we would not have achieved the double domestic title without him.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                              \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"haissem-hassen-celtic-could-see-bid-accepted-to-sign-just-upgrade\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>                        <\/p>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Just_better_Celtic_could_sign_new_player_like_%E2%80%98100m_winger\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\tJust better: Celtic could sign new player like &#8216;\u00a3100m winger&#8217;<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">Elijah Just may be a viable target for Celtic, but he&#8217;s not the only World Cup star being considered.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s almost 18 months since Celtic allowed Togo Furuhashi to move to Rennes, but it&#8217;s safe to say that the \u00a310m sale of the Japanese striker didn&#8217;t go down well with everyone. The 31-year-old failed to score at all for France until joining Birmingham City just six months later, and has since ended the 2025\/26 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[534,40,382,881,979,43],"class_list":["post-49936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-celtic","tag-football","tag-negotiations","tag-players","tag-ready","tag-sign"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}