Celtic need to find a new right back this summer, and Aurelio Buta may suddenly be emerging as the most likely option.
Jonjoe Kenny has gone and Celtic arguably need two right backs this summer, yet finding one hasn’t been easy.
George Baldock will cost more than Celtic want to pay. Sacha Boey has rejected a move to Parkhead. Udinese and Watford are now rivalling Celtic for Brandon Soppy.
Celtic are having to work through their list of right backs, and Fabrizio Romano claims the Bhoys are now in talks to sign Royal Antwerp ace Aurelio Buta.
Buta, 24, has blistering pace and has a fairly impressive attacking record of 18 assists in 107 games for Royal Antwerp.
He isn’t the biggest right back ever at 5ft 8in tall, but he looks to be an exciting target; one who has been linked with Premier League moves in recent times.
Back in November 2019, Leicester City – managed by ex-Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers and whose recruitment is led by former Bhoys man Lee Congerton – showed an interest in Buta.
The Foxes had seemingly picked out Buta as a potential replacement for Ricardo Pereira if he moved on, but that never happened.
That meant Leicester never made their move for Buta, leaving him in Belgium – and Celtic could now swoop in for his signature.
Maybe Congerton and Rodgers had looked at Buta at Celtic and he has remained on the Bhoys’ radar. Maybe Congerton and Rodgers had a look years ago and thought he could do a job in the Premier League.
Let’s now see if Celtic can get an exciting deal done in the hope that Buta really is Premier League quality.
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