There is still the question of why Celtic can’t follow suit again abundance in front of the transfer, although for all the frustration with the quiet start in the window, it is difficult not to be happy with the business that has really been done so far.
Indeed, while pre-season outings count for little in the grand scheme of things, Camilo Duran made a strong first impression after netting in back-to-back games against Sporting CP and Middlesbrough.
Thought to be the second coming of Daizen Maeda by Martin O’Neill, the Colombian striker is fresh off an outstanding 2025/26 campaign in Qarabag, having scored five Champions League goals for the Azerbaijan side.
That was the same figure Kasper Hogh prepared for the surprise package of the competition, Bodo/Glimt, with the Dane looking like the striker Parkhead has been waiting for.
What Celtic expect from Duran and Hogh this season
Monday can’t come soon enough, as the Hoops are set to begin the defense of their Premiership title, months away from that final day’s game in Glasgow.
It was Daizen Maeda who almost single-handedly dragged O’Neill’s men over the line with seven goals after the break, the Japanese cult hero leaving a huge void after his departure for Ipswich Town.
Thankfully, if recent performances are anything to go by, Duran looks set to try and close that gap, the 24-year-old is one relentless, do-it-all, who won’t be giving defenders a break this season.
Like Maeda, there is an end product to match that non-football career, with the South American scoring and assisting 25 goals in just 45 games for his former employers.
Duran will be a roving figure across the front line, while the aforementioned Hogh will be the physical focal point in midfield, the man to end the 18-month search to replace Kyogo Furuhashi.
Although perhaps not blessed with the speed or agility of Kyogo, the 25-year-old is a true hunter, a classic number nine at that.
Bodo’s 54 goals in 103 games says it all, in fact, while his record in Europe is particularly eye-catching, as he added to his recent Champions League campaign by scoring seven in 14 Europa League games in 2024/25.
|
Hogh and Duran – 25/26 Champions League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Hog |
Statistics (*per game) |
Duran |
|
12 |
Games |
10 |
|
5 |
Goals |
5 |
|
184 |
Minutes per goal |
151 |
|
19% |
Change of purpose |
25% |
|
7 |
Great opportunities are not missed |
3 |
|
3 |
It helps |
1 |
|
2 |
Great opportunities have been created |
0 |
|
0.5 |
Key passes* |
0.2 |
|
69% |
Pass accuracy* |
78% |
|
23.1 |
Contact* |
18.5 |
He undoubtedly looks the part, and with Duran by his side, there’s a fruitful relationship building to attack. One couldn’t hurt, though, right?
How Celtic can complete their forward line this summer
They still have to deliver, of course, but it’s hard not to view the two new signings as anything other than upgrades, with Duran poised to replace Sebastian Tounekti on the left, and Hogh looking comfortable with any striker who has come through the door since Kyogo’s £10m exit at the start of 2025.
However, on the right side, O’Neill currently has the aging James Forrest and the consistent Yang Hyun-jun to choose from, who has scored just 17 goals in 112 games for the club so far.
Well, that could all change if the Parkhead bosses have their way, with the Daily Record reporting that Celtic are ‘locked in talks’ over a potential deal for Real Oviedo’s Haissem Hassan.
Talks are ongoing as the Glasgow club look to reach an agreement on a price, and the 24-year-old appears keen to be snapped up with a year remaining on his current contract in Spain.
He will not come cheap, amid reports that it would take around £10m to prize him from the LaLiga 2 side, with the club also working to pursue Paderborn’s Mika Baur, another player who is out of contract next year.
Baur, still only 22 years old, will fetch around £4m and will be tasked with revamping the Celtic midfield unit, while Hassan certainly fits the bill as someone who could re-energize Celtic’s right-back.
Right now, O’Neill has Duran to lead the press on the other side, while Hogh can provide the final touch in the middle. What the duo needs, however, is for the player to create space for them.
It may be that Hassan comes to the fore, the Egyptian who seems to cheer for his country in Argentina’s heavy defeat in the World Cup.
The left-footed striker struck Zico in a spectacular fashion to make it 2-0 on the night, bursting into the box before turning the ball back for the kind of chance Hogh would have licked his lips.
It was Hassan’s run to beat Zico’s previously disallowed strike that set tongues wagging, however, revealing himself as a winger who can suck up defenders to his side, thereby opening up space for other members of the forward line.
He’s a box of tricks and a really fun player to watch, who will probably be the man to drag Celtic forward from deep while Duran looks to get in behind.
In LaLiga last term, Hassan registered just three assists, although that doesn’t tell the full story, as he also ranked in the top 1% of players in Europe’s five major leagues for passing balls and productive dribbles with 90, as well as ranking in the top 1% for the team’s progression share.
Care is considered continuous if the ball is moved towards a player’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or into the penalty area.
Essentially, he’s a player who can make things happen in the final third, ensuring he can be relied upon to create space for both Hogh and Duran, either directly in terms of actually creating chances, or indirectly by dragging defenders towards him.
Either way, Hassan could be the final piece of the puzzle in this new Celtic forward line, with the aforementioned Baur among those capable of pulling the strings behind them.
