Celtic’s stance on Marcelo Saracchi looks to have shifted quite quickly, with the club now moving towards a permanent deal after doubts just a couple of weeks ago.
Back then, reports suggested there was “little chance” of Celtic buying the left-back once his loan expired. Comments from the player’s camp pointed towards uncertainty, and a summer exit felt more likely than a long-term stay in Scotland.
Since then, though, things have started to move behind the scenes, reflecting what he has been doing on the pitch.
Saracchi has quietly put together a solid run of performances. He is averaging 1.58 tackles and 1.15 interceptions per 90, along with 2.29 clearances.
Going forward, the numbers are even more interesting. He attempts over 75 passes per game with an 87.83% completion rate. He also delivers 1.86 key passes per match and posts an xA of 0.39 per 90 – a figure that puts him among the very top creators in the Premiership.
Those numbers help explain why the mood around him seems to be changing.
Celtic now pushing to sign him
According to Argentine journalist Germán García Grova, Celtic now want to sign Marcelo Saracchi permanently.
His loan from Boca Juniors runs until June 30th, and he remains tied to the Argentine club until December 2027.
But Celtic aren’t waiting around. A meeting is planned in the UK within the next two weeks, where the clubs will start working on a deal. Maybe it is the same meeting reported back in March.
That’s quite a shift from where things stood earlier this month.
Boca situation still in the background
This also ties in with what we covered earlier, when Saracchi’s agent Marcelo Tejera confirmed interest from Nacional and Peñarol.
At the same time, Boca Juniors are juggling their foreign-player limit. They already have names like Edinson Cavani, Ander Herrera, Carlos Palacios and Ángel Romero taking up spots.
Saracchi is due back there in the summer, but keeping him would only add to that situation. Because of that, a permanent sale has been on the cards for a while.
Celtic now look ready to move, instead of waiting to see how things play out. If talks go well, they could sort the deal before other clubs get seriously involved again.
Two weeks ago, a permanent move didn’t look likely. Now, it very much does. This next meeting should tell us how serious Celtic really are.
