Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has declared himself optimistic about incoming transfers after a bright debut from Colombian signing Camilo Duran softened the blow of a 4-1 pre-season defeat to Sporting Lisbon.
The £6m forward scored on his first appearance for the club, drawing immediate comparisons from O’Neill to fan favourite Daizen Maeda with his high-pressing, energetic style of play.
O’Neill was quick to crown the new arrival, saying: “I said, ‘this is Daizen Maeda the second’! I do think he’ll be a proper player, not just because he closed down and scored the goal.”
Maeda himself is reportedly heading for the exit door, with West Ham the latest English club to enter the running for the Japanese forward’s signature this summer.
Duran’s impact in Portugal provided a genuine lift, with O’Neill adding: “He does like to press, absolutely. He scored and there were a couple of moments that didn’t quite bounce his way. I think he’ll be really decent for us, I genuinely do.”
Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson is working hard in the background to push transfer business forward before the Premiership season and Champions League qualifiers begin.
O’Neill confirmed ongoing efforts to land Kelechi Iheanacho, saying: “We’re trying to come to some sort of agreement with Iheanacho but we are definitely making moves. I am in constant touch with Michael Nicholson.”
The Celtic boss added that attacker Shin Yamada has departed on a season-long loan to OH Leuven as the club looks to balance its books while adding new personnel to the squad.
O’Neill also addressed the possibility of bringing back Bournemouth defender Julian Araujo, who impressed on loan before an untimely injury cut his stint short during the previous campaign.
The manager said competition for the left back position is already building, stating: “We are talking about a fight for left back with Ally Johnston and Colby Donovan. I don’t know if Bournemouth would loan him out again, I would think they would want to sell him.”
Despite uncertainty over Araujo’s availability, O’Neill kept the door open, saying: “I would keep it open, because you don’t know what could happen. If it was all within our scope it’s something I would definitely look at, because he would be up for the fight.”
Utrecht winger Adrien Blake has also been identified as a target, featuring on what O’Neill described as a lengthy list of players the club is monitoring ahead of the new campaign.
The manager refused to read too much into the Sporting defeat, pointing out that both clubs were missing players still returning from World Cup duty during the friendly fixture in Portugal.
O’Neill said: “They are a really good side. It was a great test, especially for the young boys who came on. I know the changes didn’t have the effect we wanted and we got a bit disjointed.”
He remained firmly focused on the opening competitive fixture rather than pre-season results, insisting: “The most important game is the first match of the season.”
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