The last centre-forward signed by Celtic for a transfer fee was Japanese number nine Shin Yamada, who joined from Kawasaki Frontale last summer.
Unfortunately, though, he only played eight times in the Scottish Premiership in the first half of last season and failed to score a single goal for the club before being sent out on loan to Germany in January.
Now, the Hoops are said to be closing in on the signing of Qarabag marksman Camilo Duran, as they are in ongoing talks over a move for the Colombian star.
His current club are demanding a fee of up to £3m for the 24-year-old centre-forward, which would be the highest fee paid for a Celtic striker since they signed Adam Idah from Norwich City for £9.5m.
It is now down to the board to pay the fee that Qarabag want for their star attacker so that Martin O’Neill‘s squad can be bolstered with more firepower.
Celtic are expected to bid to sign 2. Bundesliga star
Duran scored nine goals and provided nine assists at league level for his club in the 2025/26 campaign, which suggests that he could offer a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
However, Daizen Maeda’s tally of 14 goals in the Premiership suggests that he would still be a better option up front, which is why this latest target would be an even better signing than the Qarabag striker.
According to German outlet BILD, Celtic are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Hertha Berlin goalkeeper Tjark Ernst in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops want to bring the 23-year-old star to Parkhead and they are prepared to ‘immediately’ trigger his release clause of £4.3m to get a move over the line.
It will not be as straightforward as activating his release clause and signing him, though, as Dutch giants Feyenoord are also in the race for his signature and are willing to pay the £4.3m to rival Celtic to his signature.
The outlet also reveals that Hertha Berlin have not given up on keeping him in Germany with a new contract, which means that the Hoops will need to convince the shot-stopper to make a move to Scotland this summer.
Why Tjark Ernst is a better Celtic signing than Camilo Duran
Duran would be an exciting signing for the Scottish giants because he is an attacking player who offers goals and assists, which get fans off their seats, but that does not mean that he would be the best signing.
As aforementioned, Maeda’s attacking return in the Premiership as a centre-forward was even more impressive than Duran’s last term, suggesting that he would not be a guaranteed upgrade on what O’Neill currently has at his disposal.
Viljami Sinisalo is the current number one at Celtic after he ended last season with the starting berth and Kasper Schmeichel has since retired, but Ernst would arrive as an even better option between the sticks.
| 25/26 season | Ernst (2. BL) | Sinisalo (Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 33 | 12 |
| Save percentage | 69% | 61% |
| Saves per game | 3.0 | 1.9 |
| Goals prevented | +8.66 | -1.59 |
| Clean sheets | 11 | 1 |
| Error led to shot | 1 | 0 |
| Error led to goal | 0 | 1 |
The Finland international conceded 1.59 more goals than expected based on the xG of the efforts against him in the division last term, only keeping one clean sheet in his 12 appearances.
Whilst the former Aston Villa prospect did make some impressive saves at times for the Scottish giants, the 24-year-old talent failed to show enough to suggest that he deserves to be the clear-cut number one moving forward.
Ernst, meanwhile, produced some phenomenal performances for his club in goal in the 2. Bundesliga, preventing a staggering 8.66 more goals than expected, which speaks to the quality of his shot-stopping.
The fact that he did not make a single error that directly led to a goal in the second tier of German football, whilst Sinisalo made one in just 12 games, also suggests that he would be more reliable in goal for Celtic.
To put it simply, Ernst would be an upgrade between the sticks for O’Neill because he is a better shot-stopper and a more reliable goalkeeper than Sinisalo, whilst also being a year younger, which is why he would be such a fantastic addition to the squad.
That is also why he would be an even better signing than Duran, provided the club bring both of them to Parkhead, as he can come in and make an instant impact to improve the team, whilst it remains to be seen if the Colombian will improve O’Neill’s starting XI right away.
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