Celtic have made an approach for Mexican full-back Efrain Juarez who made three appearances at the World Cup.
The 22-year-old currently plays for UNAM Pumas in Mexico after returning from a brief spell with Barcelona where he was loaned out to regional club Barbate.
Juarez collected his 22nd international cap in the 3-1 defeat from Argentina that ended Mexico’s interest in the World Cup at the last 16 stage.
A work permit would be required for the full-back to play in Scotland but with 22 caps and a year as a regular in the Mexican side that issue should be a formality.
If Juarez was signed it would certainly mean the end of Andreas Hinkel’s Celtic career.
The former Stuttgart and Seville defender has a year left on his Celtic deal with a number of Bundesliga clubs showing interest in him.
A new contract on similar terms is highly unlikely for Hinkel who will travel with Celtic to North America tomorrow morning.
The left-back position was assumed to be one of Neil Lennon’s signing priorities but if Juarez is signed he will be joining Hinkel, Mark Wilson, Paul Caddis and Cha Du-Ri competing for the right-back position.
Efrain’s web page on his agents site (in Spanish)
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CLICK HERE for an updated Mexican view of Efrain Juarez
If Juarez is signed it’ll be as a defensive midfielder, not a right-back.
Thanks Raoul
What sort of player is Efrain?
How do you feel that he will adapt to European football and the more aggresive Scottish ‘style’?
more rubbish from lennon, not good enough, what club in the world needs 6 right backs? shocking!
any chance of spending real money, free transfers, loans, duds, has beens, is this now our level?
mediocre rubbish
Give it a rest, Sean. You sound like a childish, sour-faced twat with his head in the clouds. And yes, this is our level and has been for quite some time.
Joe, I’m no authority on the Mexican football, but I’m pretty confident this guy will be the aggressive ball winner we’ll need in the CM to compliment the more creative mids. He’s a good size with a great engine on him and does the simple things well – gets it gives it. As you’ve pointed out, he’s also quite versatile so could fill in at RB/RWB depending on how Lenny goes, though I’m pretty sure he’ll make the CM position his own.
Well, speaking as a Mexico supporter and fan of Efrain Juarez, I have carefully tracked his career and have seen what this lad can do.
Unbiased I can say he is not a promise as he has shaped up to be a very good defensive midfielder or Right back. He was the under-17 world champion with Mexico on 2005 and was sent to Barcelona later that year because it was said he showed lots of promise.
He was sent back because he was unable to obtain a work permit but now that he has sufficient enough international caps, rumors speculated that Barcelona wanted him back due to his performance in the world cup, but he chose not to go back as it might not be the best choice for his career. I can guarantee he is an overall complete player and extremely difficult to pass by.
If Celtic sign him, I can guarantee that he will do wonders there as he is both solid defensively and dangerous offensively.
just wathed guy on u tube looks great player. hail hail
Sean, what are you on about? without trying to start in fighting, how can you even begin to complain about our moves in the transfer market so far?
I think for his inexperience Lenny has shown himself to be very astute so far in the transfer market, quit it with the negativity.
Point is, we need quality at a cheap price and we need both winners and characters, exactly what Lennon is trying to bring in, I don’t know what the season ahead hold but i’m certainly looking forward to it now that the transfer wheels have been put in motion…hail hail!!
Spot on Paddy, could not agree more. This guy Sean is some whinger,he’s crying about the team and Lennon even before the season starts.Jez who needs enemies (and we have many) with supporters like this.
It’s time for true supporters to get behind our team, if not(Sean)find another team to support. Mon the Hoops
Hail Hail
Time to realise we must build with a relatively tight budget. Look at the players Lennon has brought in compared to what he has spent.He’s proving no fool in the trading circles and I suspect the best is yet to come. Keep the heid and respect each other’s opinions-it’s all we’ve got! Hail Hail.
Eddie, I agreed with you right up until that last sentence, which just sounds like empty retoric. Opinions can be respected only if they are measured, balanced and informed. Sean’s was none of those, therefore he deserves all the ridicule he gets. And opinions are not “all we’ve got”.