Marc Guéhi will be looking forward to continue his move to Anfield in the upcoming summer (Credits: Imago Images)
Celtic are set to open talks with Boca Juniors over a permanent deal for left-back Marcelo Saracchi this summer.
The Glasgow club has already held preliminary discussions with Saracchi’s camp, and Parkhead chiefs are now ready to push toward finalising a move.
Saracchi could become Martin O’Neill’s first signing of the summer window as the new Celtic boss looks to build his squad early.
The 28-year-old Uruguayan has been told by new Boca Juniors manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena that he will not feature in plans for next season.
Saracchi is keen to resolve his future as quickly as possible and has attracted interest from clubs in MLS and Turkey.
However, with Kieran Tierney committed to World Cup duty with Scotland, O’Neill is eager to bring Saracchi in ahead of pre-season training.
Boca Juniors are willing to sell the left-back for around £2 million, looking to free up a foreign player slot within their squad.
Saracchi is keen on a return to Parkhead but wants assurances that he will have a significant role to play under O’Neill’s management.
The left-back impressed during his season-long loan, starting 10 of his 27 appearances despite missing a large chunk of the campaign with a hamstring injury.
He became a firm fans’ favourite at Celtic Park and produced a game-changing moment from the bench in the title-winning clash with Hearts.
The former RB Leipzig and Galatasaray star is now expected to become the first piece of O’Neill’s transfer puzzle this summer.
Celtic’s non-international players are due to report back to Lennoxtown this Friday, but the Double-winners are already significantly depleted in numbers.
Kasper Schmeichel has retired, Stephen Welsh has joined Swansea City, and Luis Palma has signed a permanent deal with Lech Poznan.
FC Tokyo are also set to convert Hayato Inamura’s loan into a permanent deal worth around £1.2 million.
Six loanees, including Saracchi, Tomas Cvancara, and Benjamin Arthur, have all returned to their parent clubs following the season’s end.
Out-of-contract duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have yet to discover whether they will be offered extensions by the club.
Nottingham Forest are also ready to reignite their interest in £25 million-rated midfielder Arne Engels as a potential replacement for Man City-bound Elliot Anderson.
Celtic are also bracing themselves for interest in World Cup stars Daizen Maeda, Benjamin Nygren, and Alistair Johnston from clubs monitoring the tournament.
O’Neill is targeting a new goalkeeper, left-back, centre-half, midfielders, wingers, and at least two strikers to reshape his squad this window.
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