Fausto Vera is one of the Celtic’s biggest wishes during this transfer window, but it appears that the Hoops might stay empty-handed in this case. Two major clubs entered the race for the Argentinian midfielder, and they did it with concrete offers.
The 22-year-old has been fantastic while playing for his Argentinos Juniors this season, and many believe that he has the quality to reach the final selection of the Argentinian national team, one of the favorites for the trophy in Qatar according to the FIFA World Cup odds.
Who Else Wants Him
His excellent performances left a very good impression on the scouts all around the globe, and a few teams decided to react immediately and make an inquiry, some of them even an official bid. Among them is Celtic, but also Genk and Corinthians.
For the moment, the Hoops aren’t as aggressive as the two rival teams, who have already delivered their offers. According to various media, Corinthians offered roughly£3.5 million for the defensive midfielder, but that one was turned down.
The latest speculation is that such a sum was provided for 60% of his rights. This is something the Brazilians often do, and we had various examples of sharing rights for a player in the past.
On the other hand, Genk’s proposal is a bit higher. The Argentinians are asking for around £5 million, and the Belgian side is willing to send a much better offer than Corinthians’, which would be close to the asking fee.
Argentinos Juniors and the player have six more months on the current deal. Still, the team has an option of automatically extending the agreement to one more year following the conclusion of the current one. It is why the team from Buenos Aires isn’t in a hurry to sell the player, whose price might only go up as time goes by.
Celtics in Need
Meanwhile, Celtic are in a hurry to find a defensive midfielder following Nir Bitton’s departure. The Hoops were in the race for Vinicius Souza, but the Brazilian ended up in Espanol, which ruined Ange Postecoglou’s plans. The 23-year-old would be a perfect fit for Celtic’s lineup, and the fans were heavily disappointed upon hearing the news that he ended up in Spain.
Vera is Argentinos Juniors’ child from the start of his career. He would get through their youth academy before ending up on the first team, where he established himself as one of the key players. So far, he has played 73 games for Juniors, providing seven goals and three assists.
Aggressive, right-footed, with impeccable technique, in short, this is Vera’s description. So far, he has managed to collect five appearances in the Argentinian national team, debuting back in July last year. As said, he is pretty close to being a part of Argentina’s team in Qatar, which would only increase his value in the upcoming period.
Urgency
Celtic needs to react fast here, otherwise, they might lose a player who not only fits their current needs but who also might generate substantial profits in the future. The problem for the Hoops is that they already spent nearly £18 million on signings, and they don’t have too much money left in the bank for this transfer window.
That is why many believe that Josip Juranovic might leave the club. The incredible right-back has been on the radar of several teams from the top five European leagues, noting that Atletico Madrid has already made some inquiries.
Juranovic’s asking price is £15 million, and if that deal comes through, the Hoops would not only have the resources to close out the Vera deal but add a few more players to their core.
Celtic won the title last season and is now participating in the UEFA Champions League, gaining an automatic entry to the competition. They need to strengthen the team because Europe’s best teams will await them.
