It’s now a case of when, not if, with a new striker coming in at Celtic this summer.
On Tuesday, Celtic played their first pre-season match ahead of the 2026/27 campaign in Ireland against Shelbourne, and Martin O’Neill discussed the imminent arrival of Camilo Duran.
It was also a topic of discussion with Kenny Cunningham, who was on commentary duty on Premier Sports for Celtic’s 1-1 draw against Shelbourne.
Cunningham sent out the perfect message to the soon-to-be Hoops hitman, saying that ‘there won’t be a better club in the world’ for the Qarabağ FK star if he hits the ground running in Glasgow.
The former Republic of Ireland international even compared Celtic’s expected new arrival to former Newcastle United cult hero, Faustino Asprilla.
Name the Celtic players who you think need a BIG pre-season? 🍀🤔
Share your thoughts, Celtic fans…👇🍀
Kenny Cunningham is excited by Camilo Duran’s Celtic arrival
“Duran, a centre forward, that’s what they have been crying out for,” said Cunningham. “Tried to rectify that midway through last season – it didn’t really happen and they didn’t make the impact.
“Hopefully this player saw Qarabag play a couple of times last season, alright, a pretty confident team – that number nine is such an important position. Celtic needs to find a goalscorer.
“Somebody who can produce that in the league in Scotland, but also in Europe. Make an impact for them there.
“You never know. You have to trust your judgment. We talk about the recruitment department. Crunch down the numbers. Finding out about him. About his character.
“Can he handle the culture shock in Glasgow? Does he know what’s coming his way?
“He will certainly get a huge amount of adulation if he hits the ground running. There is no doubt about that. There won’t be a better club in the world for him if he starts finding the back of the net. He will be idolised by these Celtic supporters.
“A Colombian centre forward. It’s all very exotic, isn’t it?! A Colombian coming in at Celtic Park. It reminds me a bit of Asprilla at Newcastle many years ago.”
Time to get excited about Duran…
If Celtic had been pro-active like this last summer, then perhaps fans wouldn’t have witnessed such chaos unfold in the months that followed.
But at the age of 24, with nine goals and nine assists in the league in Azerbaijan last season, including five strikes in the Champions League, there is more than something to get excited about with Duran.
This is a positive start to the 2026 summer transfer window from Celtic, but plenty more is needed.
If the middle of the park is freshened up, as well as more oomph in the wide areas, then Duran will be walking into an upbeat environment that will help him to thrive and succeed a lot more easily.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
