Celtic Nears Season-Long Loan for Marcelo Saracchi from Boca Juniors

Celtic are set to secure a season-long loan deal for Uruguayan left-back Marcelo Saracchi from Argentine side Boca Juniors, with no option to buy included. Saracchi, 27, who has experience at clubs such as River Plate, RB Leipzig, Galatasaray, Levante, and Boca Juniors, will provide backup and competition for Kieran Tierney at Celtic. The loan fee is reported to be around £75,000 to £86,000, with Celtic covering his wages, and Boca Juniors has recently had Saracchi extend his contract to protect their interests. Brendan Rodgers has expressed optimism about imminent signings, including Saracchi and Michel-Ange Balikwisha, to reinforce the squad ahead of crucial Champions League fixtures. While Saracchi has nine caps for Uruguay and previous experience playing against Celtic in European competitions, Celtic are also assessing other transfer targets like Kalidou Sidibe. This deal is viewed as strategic to bolster squad depth, especially in the left-back position, with Brendan Rodgers not fully confident in Hayato Inamura's readiness for games where Celtic might not dominate possession.