Celtic Sign Colombian Striker Camilo Duran for £6m
Celtic have wasted no time putting a marker down for their title defence, landing Colombian striker Camilo Duran in a deal worth around £6m and making him the first new arrival of the summer.
The 24-year-old arrives from Qarabag with something Celtic badly crave: goals on the European stage. He hit 15 last season, five of them in the Champions League, and turned himself from a relatively low-key signing at Portimonense into one of the most eye-catching forwards outside the traditional big leagues.
At Qarabag he bullied centre-backs, ran in behind and, crucially, delivered when the lights were brightest. That Champions League return is what pushed him to the top of Celtic’s list. For a club that has too often flattered to deceive in Europe, a striker who already knows what it feels like to score in that arena is pure currency.
Duran knows exactly what he is walking into.
"I'm very happy, it's a dream come true to sign for a big club like Celtic, the biggest in Scotland, and I'm just excited to get going and score lots of goals," he said after sealing the move, underlining both the scale of the step and his own expectations. When Celtic called, there was no debate in his mind. No hesitation. Just the pull of Parkhead and the promise of Champions League nights.
He spoke like a player who has been chasing this stage since childhood. Playing in the Champions League was already “a dream come true” for him; now he wants to keep doing it in green and white, talking of effort, dedication and the hope that the goals will follow. He has also become the first Colombian to play for Celtic, a landmark he clearly feels. He sees this as a platform not just for club glory, but to push himself closer to a call from his national team.
Duran is Martin O'Neill's first fresh signing of the window, though not his first bit of business. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has already committed to a one-year deal after impressing during the second half of last season at Parkhead. Experience in midfield, new energy up front: the rebuild has started, but nobody inside or outside the club believes it can stop there.
Chris Sutton certainly doesn’t. The former Celtic striker has warned that this summer has to be big, bold and expensive if O’Neill’s side are to keep their grip on the Premiership trophy and stand up properly in Europe.
"Martin worked wonders last season. I didn't see Celtic winning the title from the position which he was put in on a couple of occasions," Sutton told Sky Sports News, a nod to the late surge that dragged the club over the line. The run-in was electric. The flaws were still obvious.
Sutton cut straight to the point: this squad needs serious surgery. Recruitment, not romance, will decide whether Celtic kick on or get caught. He highlighted the looming Champions League qualifier as a crucial early test and reminded supporters that, for all the euphoria at the end of last season, the team struggled at key points across the campaign.
That’s the context into which Duran walks. Excitement, yes. Expectation, absolutely.
Sutton also raised the spectre of departures. Reo Hatate looks likely to go. Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels could follow. Those are not fringe players; they are core pieces of O’Neill’s system. Replacing that level of influence is not a job for bargain hunting.
"I think that Celtic are possibly going to have to spend up to or more than £50m really because the squad does need a rebuild," Sutton said, laying down a figure that underlines the scale of the task. Duran at £6m is a statement, but also just a start if those exits materialise.
Inside Lennoxtown, the message from Duran to his new manager has been simple enough: he is delighted to be here and wants to repay the faith with performances. He talked about giving everything, about the honour of wearing the jersey, about his desire to finish the year as a champion. Those are the right words. The real judgement will come on cold nights when points are slipping away or on European evenings when the margin for error disappears.
The countdown to that scrutiny has already begun. Celtic open their Scottish Premiership title defence at home to Dundee on August 3, a Monday night under the lights, live on Sky Sports. It rounds off a landmark opening weekend in which every top-flight game will be shown live.
By then, O’Neill will hope Duran is settled, the squad is closer to complete, and the £50m question hanging over Celtic’s summer has been answered not by talk, but by the players walking out of that tunnel.
