Julian Araujo’s cousin says there is a ‘very high’ chance of the defender staying at Celtic next season.
In a flurry of posts on his Instagram story, Araujo’s cousin (widely reported as his brother, incorrectly) has caused a hullabaloo on Celtic social media.
Not only has he been hinting at a permanent move, but he’s also been sharing pictures from the Broomloan end at Ibrox and nights out in Glasgow.
If Araujo is loving Glasgow half as much as his cousin is – and there is evidence that this is the case – then he could well be sticking around.
Will Celtic regret not inserting an option to buy in their Julian Araujo loan from Bournemouth?
Julian Araujo’s cousin says ‘very high’ chance of Celtic stay
On a question-and-answer on his account, Araujo’s cousin was asked “What are the chances of your brother being in a Celtic jersey next season?
He replied: “Chances are high.”
Whilst the question refers to him as his brother, the account has already confirmed that he is, in fact, Araujo’s cousin.
He also said that he “absolutely” hates Rangers, thinks the Green Brigade are “absolutely mental” and told Celtic to “pay the man” to make the loan move permanent.
Now that, we can all get behind.
For Julian himself, it’s been a busy few days following the birth of his and his partner’s first child, a baby boy named Angelo Jude.
This didn’t seem to be the cause of Araujo’s absence from Celtic’s 3-1 win over Motherwell, however, with Martin O’Neill confirming that Araujo is injured.
Mexico boss Javier Aguirre has discussed Araujo, opening the door for him to return to the national team ahead of a home World Cup this summer.
It will be interesting to see who is preferred between the 24-year-old and Alistair Johnston when the latter returns to fitness.
When Alistair Johnston returns to fitness, would you pick him over Julian Araujo?
Martin O’Neill on Julian Araujo’s Celtic injury
Speaking about the defender’s injury on BBC Sportsound, O’Neill didn’t seem to indicate that it was anything serious.
He said: “Yeah, he’s picked up an injury during the course of the week.
“Well, [he] felt very very tight after Sunday’s game as well, too. With a little bit of time, he’s just felt a little bit in the thigh.
“We thought, ‘Oh, well there’s no point in risking it.’, and just to leave him for today.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
