Wednesday night conjured up scenes not seen in a long while at Parkhead, with Scottish champions Celtic putting LASK Linz to the sword in front of a buoyant home crowd.
There was so much turbulence, so much negativity in 2025/26 – and rightly so – but this team, this club, feels like a different prospect right now. I’m afraid the Hoops’ Premiership rivals missed their chance last season.
That’s not to say complacency can begin to set in, with Callum McGregor and co likely to make sure of that, but with a spate of new signings all showing signs of life, there’s plenty to be optimistic about in Glasgow.
No one will be letting the Celtic board off the hook completely, however, with not everything having gone to plan this summer. Just ask Marcelo Saracchi.
Why Celtic missed a tap-in with Saracchi transfer
Let’s not overblow his importance too greatly, with the Uruguayan largely an understudy to Kieran Tierney last term, a rotation role he believes may have cost him a place in his country’s World Cup squad.
And yet, would Martin O’Neill’s men be champions without him? Perhaps not. The diminutive left-back having been so influential on the final day, sparking the hosts’ second-half surge.
It was his solo run and threaded pass that led to Daizen Maeda’s ‘winner’ to make it 2-1, the on-loan defender cementing his growing cult status with that vital late cameo off the bench.
An infectious, full-blooded figure on the pitch, Saracchi had evidently won over O’Neill and co too, with it looking for all the world that a permanent move was on the cards.
For a reported fee of just £2m, this felt like a tap-in transfer for the Glasgow side to complete, with his parent club Boca Juniors willing to cash in and the 28-year-old keen to stay.
|
Saracchi – Premiership Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat (*per game) |
Record |
|
Games |
19 |
|
Starts |
8 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
4 |
|
Big chances created |
3 |
|
Key passes* |
0.7 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
88% |
|
Tackles & interceptions* |
0.9 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.4 |
|
Dribbled past* |
0.3 |
Alas, at the same time that an expected extension for Kelechi Iheanacho fell flat, Saracchi took to social media to reveal that there wasn’t going to be a second act to his Celtic career, even while having outlined he had been intent on sticking around.
Now heading toward the deadline, Tierney’s current understudy is Liam Scales, a situation that cannot persist considering the Scot’s prior fitness woes. O’Neill needs a solution, and fast.
Why Celtic could be set to sign the new Saracchi
Time is running out, and there’s still plenty to be done at Parkhead.
A new goalkeeper, a replacement for Arne Engels and potentially a new right-back appear to be needed, as too does a successor to Saracchi down that left flank.
Well, as reported by CeltsAreHere, a loan deal for Chelsea’s Landon Emenalo has been ‘agreed’, with an announcement expected following Tuesday’s return leg in the Champions League.
There is no immediate rush to bring him in, with the 18-year-old recovering from a knock sustained in training, although the issue is not believed to be serious and won’t derail the switch.
There will be no option to buy the teenager, as was the case with Saracchi, with this potentially set to just be another short-term move, as it was for the South American.
Perhaps supporters might have wanted a more experienced, direct rival to Tierney, but Emenalo is certainly highly regarded at Stamford Bridge, having featured in pre-season for new boss Xabi Alonso.
He’s young and inexperienced, yet looks ready to make an impact at senior level, having shown flashes of what he can do amid the Blues’ summer tour.
What particularly stands out when watching the American-born starlet in action is his ability to drive forward from deep, mirroring Saracchi in that regard as someone who’s always on the front foot.
Tierney is such a weapon in a creative sense, as he showed again with his stellar assist for Benjamin Nygren on the opening weekend, but the beauty of Saracchi was that he offered something different.
The Uruguayan was able to be thrust into games and immediately put his stamp on things, bombing forward at every available opportunity, even while only ending the season with a solitary assist.
Emenalo certainly offers something similar in that sense, showcasing against Sydney Wanderers last month that he’s always seeking to get forward, boasting the technical quality to be able to beat his man and retain possession so effectively.
In 22 Premier League 2 games last season for Chelsea’s U21 side, he notably also laid on five assists from left-back, while also lining up in central midfield and at centre-back on occasion.
He might not be the marquee capture of the summer, much like Saracchi a year ago, yet by the time May rolls around, don’t be surprised to see supporters begging for the England youth star to be snapped up permanently.