It never takes long for a star to emerge at Parkhead, with new man Camilo Duran already taking on talismanic status in a Celtic shirt following a stunning run of goalscoring form.
Tipped to be the next Daizen Maeda by Martin O’Neill following an immediate impact in pre-season, the Colombian has taken it to another level in recent weeks, proving the most successful signing of the summer so far.
The star of the first-leg win away at LASK, the 24-year-old also helped the Hoops to move on from the second leg in Austria by making the difference yet again at the weekend.
Duran’s dazzling Falkirk display in numbers
O’Neill, albeit while somewhat hamstrung by a string of fitness woes in Linz, might well be kicking himself that he didn’t deploy Duran through the middle at any stage, with Haissem Hassan forced to watch on from the bench.
The absence of Kasper Hogh on Saturday afternoon did allow the 74-year-old to make that shift, however, with Duran’s move to a centre-forward berth instantly paying dividends.
While somewhat gifted the opener by former Celtic man, Scott Bain, the £5.5m signing had caused the ‘keeper’s lapse in concentration with the relentless, almost Maeda-esque press from the front.
As for his second, the ex-Qarabag star latched onto Kieran Tierney’s delightful cross to sweep home from close range, having just about managed to get ahead of his man.
Now up to five goals in his first six competitive games in green and white, Duran couldn’t have made a better start to life in Glasgow, in truth, with there so much to like about his game.
|
Duran vs Falkirk |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Record |
|
Minutes |
70 |
|
Touches |
20 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Key passes |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
67% |
|
Dribbles |
0 |
|
Crosses |
0/1 |
|
Ball lost |
6 |
|
Total duels won |
1/3 |
Against Falkirk, for instance, it wasn’t just his goals that stood out, as he also provided three key passes to go along with his three shots on goal, having created one ‘big chance’ in total.
He did only register 20 touches in his 70 minutes on the pitch, but his impact was felt so keenly in that 2-1 win. It’s early days, of course, but he’s the type of signing Celtic would like to see more of.
How Celtic could sign an even bigger talent than Duran
It looks set to be a hectic end to the window for the Scottish champions, having struck a deal to sign Parma star Oliver Sorensen on loan, while PSV Eindhoven sensation, Joel Van den Berg, is also nearing a move to Glasgow for a £3m fee.
A new goalkeeper appears on the agenda too, by all accounts, although there could be more activity involving the midfield and forward line, even with Duran, Hassan and co already in the building.
Indeed, as per journalist Alan Nixon, Premier League side Chelsea have reached out to offer Celtic the chance to sign Ecuadorian teenager, Kendry Paez, suggesting that there have been talks held over a potential deal.
The 19-year-old is back at Stamford Bridge after seeing his loan move to River Plate cut short, hence why the door might be open for O’Neill and co to pounce in the coming days.
While Paez might be a relative unknown quantity, having yet to make the breakthrough in west London, his talent has long been talked up ever since first agreeing to join the Blues back in June 2023.
A winger or number ten by trade, the South American sensation has already made 27 senior appearances for his country, scoring twice, making his debut at the age of just 16, while having been part of Ecuador’s World Cup squad this summer.
In Duran’s case, he still hasn’t actually made an appearance for Colombia at senior level at the age of 24, only previously lining up for the U20s.
That difference speaks to just what a talent Paez is, with the Chelsea wonderkid, even previously tipped to win the Ballon d’Or at some stage by his agent, Manuel Sierra:
“I don’t know if we are going to have such a beastly talent in my life again like Kendry Paez,” Sierra said.
“He is a guy who can be, for me, if not Ballon d’Or, be very close to being Ballon d’Or in the next, six, seven or eight years. I think he can be one of the greats in the world. He has it all. He is a guy who is super prepared for success.”
Such praise came following his early rise back at Independiente del Valle, a real talent factory of Ecuadorian football, with Paez notably scoring seven and assisting three from just 17 league starts in 2024.
That record is even more impressive considering his age at the time, having also sparkled the year prior with five goals and one assist in 14 starts in 2023.
Duran is a relative late bloomer by contrast, and while he might be ripping it up in Glasgow as things stand, Paez – hailed as a “left-footed magician” by Como scout Ben Mattinson – appears to have a more stellar ceiling.
