Celtic move for Mexico’s Efrain Juarez
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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