Celtic are set to sign Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta for around £3 million, according to respected Belgian reporter Florian Holsbeek on Twitter.
The Lowdown: Celtic gear up for vital 2021/22 campaign
Moving towards a pivotal campaign at Parkhead, newly appointed manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to address problem positions in order to raise the bar in quality within the Hoops squad.
Right-back has been a particular problem position for the Celts in recent years. Currently, Anthony Ralston is the only right-sided defender with senior experience on the books at Celtic Park.
Now, the Hoops could be set to address this issue following recent developments.
The Latest: Buta could join Celtic TODAY
Communicating to his following on Twitter, Holsbeek issued an update on the situation which translates roughly to:
“Aurélio Buta will leave Antwerp for the Celtic FC against a check for 3.5 million. Formalization during the day.”
Previously, it had been relayed by news outlet Voetbal24 that Celtic had made an offer of €2.5 million for the Angola-born defender, however would be willing to raise the fee to Antwerp’s desired €3.5 million price-tag in order to seal the deal.
With the domestic season set to get underway on Saturday for the Hoops away to Heart of Midlothian, the Celtic hierarchy seem to have met that fee, which comes out at about £3m.
He will become Postecoglou’s sixth summer signing.
The Verdict: Buta signing would be a much-needed boost for everyone at Celtic
Coming as a massive relief to the Bhoys support, Buta looks like a player who could slot nicely into Postecoglou’s high-octane style of football.
Pacey, adept on the overlap and an intelligent crosser of the ball, he represents a significant upgrade on limited current options in that area of the pitch for Celtic.
In 2020/21, the former Benfica B man registered five assists within 34 appearances for Royal Antwerp [Transfermarkt].
Capable of linking the play effectively, Buta managed to record a commendable passing accuracy of 80.9% last year across the campaign [WhoScored].
Once labelled as ‘one of the best full-backs in the Belgium league’ by journalist Aster Nzeyimana, he looks to be a much-needed addition to the Celtic ranks which will surely provoke some excitement amongst supporters [Birmingham Live].
In other news, Celtic face a blow in a reported transfer pursuit.
