Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the fans at the end of the UEFA Champions League, Group E match at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Picture date: Wednesday December 13, 2023.
With less than two weeks for the January transfer window to open, Stephen McGowan believes Celtic are about to make a significant move.
The Daily Mail journalist was asked what he thought about Celtic strengthening this winter when he claimed that they could be about to sing a player to give Greg Taylor some much-needed competition.
McGowan said [PLZ Soccer], “I think they will. I mean I think the Portuguese guy, Tiago Araujo who plays for Estoril who is a former Benfica player, I think he’s a very strong possibility for Celtic in January.
“He’s a left wing-back, he can get forward whether he can defend is a question of course, but I suspect that’s one that might happen.”
Celtic told how there was a feeling that Celtic could be about to replace Alexandro Bernabei in January as the Argentine has failed to make any kind of impact on the team since his £3.75m move last summer.
However, I would suggest that if Celtic were to try and sign Araujo, it would be with a view to becoming a regular starter for Brendan Rodgers.
Much has been made of the fact that the left flank of Celtic was exposed in Europe and in the Scottish Premiership and Rodgers would do well to address that sooner rather than later.
The Portuguese fullback is 22 years old and has two caps for the u21 team. A product of the Benfica youth system, he made just one appearance for the first team.
A short spell at Arouca allowed Araujo to make a further 16 first-team outings before he secured a permanent move to Estoril.
In two seasons at the club, the versatile full-back who can also play as a winger, has made 49 appearances scoring three goals and creating four helping his team to a current mid-table position in the league. [Transfermarkt]
Is he the player that could Celtic forward? A lot about this move screams another project but I’m hoping this is one that Rodgers has identified as one who could instantly improve what Celtic already have at the club.
In other news, ‘Doesn’t look interested’… Celtic fans are seriously worried about 28-year-old player this season
