If you ask any Celtic fan, they'd tell you that one player they'd love to sign in the summer is Julian Araujo on a permanent deal. The club have a chance of pushing that one over the line, but news today has revealed they will face competition from at least one other club.
Mexican side Cruz Azul are interested in signing Araujo in the summer after he has impressed in the hoops this season. Since joining in January, he has been something of a revelation at right-back, stepping in for the injured Alistair Johnston, and he has been one of the top performers every matchday.
He always seems to step up when called upon, with his defence being absolutely top-notch. He loves to dart up and down the pitch as well, offering us everything from attacking to tackling.
It is no surprise that he has caught the eye of Cruz Azul, with more suitors likely to come in for the defender. Clubs would be silly not to chance it and try to win his signature, and Celtic should be one of the first to enquire.
Cruz Azul are reportedly "sounding out" the price that Araujo would cost them before beginning official negotiations, and that should be a sign for the Celts to act before it's too late. We can't wait to do business every transfer window; we need to make a move or lose out on potentially key players.
Perfect signing for Celtic
With the Mexico manager keen to recall Araujo, he's yet another name on the list of players at Celtic who will represent their countries. Having another player of a high calibre at the club is brilliant.
Celtic may be regretting not including a loan-to-buy option in the deal, but who could have expected him to be this good? If it went wrong and the club had included that clause, then everyone would have been calling for their head. It may seem obvious in hindsight, but it's more complicated than that.
Bournemouth paid £9.5 million for the player and would likely be looking for around that price if they were to sell him. It may seem like a lot, and it is, because it would make him one of Celtic's most expensive signings of all time, but it's becoming more obvious by the day that it's a deal that needs to be done.
Celtic needs to do the right thing, even if it sets back the bank balance.