Celtic are eyeing a January loan move for Mexican wing-back Julian Araujo, it is being reported.
Wilfried Nancy wants to get the Celtic squad in his image, and is looking to dip into the Premier League loan market in the January window.
This has led him to 24-year-old Araujo, the USA-born Mexico international who recently spent 18 months on the books at Barcelona.
Araujo joined Bournemouth for £9 million last summer, and made 12 league appearances last season before falling out of favour during this campaign.
The Sun report that the Cherries will facilitate a loan move this winter, and Celtic are ‘strong contenders’ to land him.
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Celtic want Julian Araujo on loan in January
Araujo has 16 caps for his country, and will want to regain a place in their squad by getting more game time ahead of a home World Cup next summer.
He joined Barcelona from LA Galaxy in 2023, but never made a competitive appearance for the club.
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Instead, he moved to Las Palmas, where he started 15 games in La Liga.
A right-sided wing-back, Araujo is 5ft 8in tall, but rapid and aggressive. It goes without saying that he enjoys getting forward.
He was signed as an upgrade on Max Aarons, who was shipped out on loan to Rangers ahead of this season.
This season, Araujo has been involved in plenty of matchday squads in the Premier League, but his only time on the pitch came in the EFL Cup and he was sent off.
He wouldn’t be the first Mexican right-back to play for Celtic. Efrain Juarez was signed by Neil Lennon in 2010, and was a surprise contender to become Hoops manager during the club’s managerial hunt this year.
Araujo would hopefully be a more impactful signing, given his top-level European experience. Nancy obviously wants better profiles who suit his squad, and this would be a great place to start.
Julian Araujo to Celtic… what are your initial thoughts on that rumour?
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Wilfried Nancy on Celtic transfers
Speaking at his first Celtic press conference, Nancy was asked about his transfer strategy for his spell at the club.
He said: “Each organisation, the idea is to improve. So the window is coming, so first of all, I’m going to assess the team, to know them a little bit better, and to know them as a person.
“I’ve watched a lot of games this season, but this is about knowing them as a person, and after that, we’re gonna see what’s best for the team.
“I like to take my time, I know that I don’t have a lot of time, but the idea is to be coherent in the idea of the profile, that we need to make the step for learning that.
“[We have a] quality team, quality players, but they have to believe a little bit more in themselves.
“After that, tactical flexibility. We have players who can play in different positions, and for me, this is important – for players who are able to play in two positions, minimum.
“This is really interesting. I like also the diversity of the culture, I think that this is really important, also – to keep Scottish players, but also, players coming from everywhere.”
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