Why Celtic signing big-money target could actually be good news for Duran

In two weeks’ time, Scottish champions Celtic begin their bid to reach the Champions League proper by taking on Austrian outfit, LASK Linz, in their playoff first-leg tie.

On the evidence of Monday’s narrow win over Dundee, it will be a tall order for Martin O’Neill‘s men to secure progression, having looked rather unconvincing on the night.

There’s also a sense that the Glasgow giants might even be weakened rather than strengthened by that stage, amid the uncertainty surrounding both Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston.

Some may well be fearing a repeat of that Almaty disaster, yet the Hoops might have an ace up their sleeve in the form of ex-Qarabag man, Camilo Duran.

What is Camilo Duran’s best position?

Those at Ibrox appear to have gone for quantity, yet it is Celtic who have got real quality in the door, having splashed out to sign Kasper Hogh and Duran for a combined fee of around £17m.

It was a sticky debut for Hogh, as he squandered a handful of chances against Steven Pressley’s side, although the Dane’s scoring record speaks for itself, having hit 54 goals in just 103 games back at Bodo/Glimt.

As for Duran, there has been more to like about the Colombian so far, the 24-year-old netting against Sporting CP and Middlesbrough in pre-season, showcasing a Daizen Maeda-like ability to pounce on any slip-up inside the area.

Against Dundee too, while it didn’t all go his way, the South American looked sharp in the press, repeatedly seen closing down his opposite man.

His brightest moment came amid a delightful spin and turn inside the area, the left-footer exploding into life as a potential sign of things to come.

The issue, however, might be as to where to utilise him, with Duran not necessarily looking the most comfortable off the right flank, completing just two of his five attempted dribbles.

Back in Azerbaijan, his best work had come through the middle, suggesting he might be better served working in tandem with Hogh, rather than being shunted out wide.

Indeed, that would then open the door to signing a more natural winger in the coming weeks, with O’Neill’s in real need of further firepower.

Celtic handed boost in winger search

With Jota’s absence rumbling on, and with Michel-Ange Balikwisha M.I.A, Celtic’s pool of forwards does leave a lot to be desired, with O’Neill still calling on an ageing James Forrest off the bench last time out.

On the opposite side, Sebastian Tounekti’s lack of end product was evident again as he blazed over the bar late on, the Tunisian having ended 2025/26 with just two goals and two assists to his name in the Premiership.

An upgrade is certainly needed, and Frosinone’s Fares Ghedjemis could well provide that, with CeltsAreHere providing a positive update regarding Celtic’s interest in the 23-year-old.

The suggestion is that the Algerian favours a move to Parkhead rather than joining Rangers, with the player ‘open’ to the move, having been linked in January.

The major stumbling block still remains the price tag, with those at Ibrox seeing an £8m bid thrown out, while there is also mounting rival interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund.

Not an easy one to do, although it never is with Celtic, is it? Equally too, it should be seen as a positive that so many clubs are battling to seal Ghedjemis’ signature, with that a testament to just what a stellar talent he is.

In Serie B in 2025/26, for instance, the fleet-footed winger was in remarkable form on his favoured right flank, scoring 15 goals and registering three assists to help propel Frosinone to promotion.

The Algerian – who was part of his country’s World Cup squad – also created 11 ‘big chances’ and averaged 1.7 successful dribbles per game, ranking second in the division in terms of total successful dribbles completed.

Celtic love a left-footed right-winger, don’t they, have seen the likes of Patrick Roberts and Nicolas Kuhn flourish on that flank across the last decade, with Ghedjemis hopefully the next major success story in green and white.

What that signing would also mean is that Duran could then be shifted back into his natural role as a number nine or second striker, working off Hogh as suggested, or even in place of the Dane on occasion.

At the end of last season, O’Neill almost abandoned the use of an orthodox number nine in order to deploy Maeda through the middle, the Japanese speedster scoring seven post-split to drag the Hoops to the title.

In key games, be it in the derby or in Europe, the mobile Duran may well be the best over the poacher, Hogh, with the signing of a marquee winger like Ghedjemis set to allow O’Neill to make that switch.

Duran, as he showed with his five goals in last season’s Champions League, is at his best when stretching the play and running in behind, yet Ghedjemis could be the player to really run the show from the flanks.