Why Celtic won’t be signing Damian Bobadilla (real name!)

Damian Bobadilla is apparently a top summer target for Celtic!

The EXCLUSIVE news has been revealed by Football Insider, the website that has senior recruitment contacts at over 50 clubs in constant contact with Pete O’Rourke.

It is hard to know where to start with the Bobadilla story.

The headline tells us that the central midfielder is a top target, a few paragraphs down and O’Rourke reaches for the favoured ‘set to keep tabs’ lifebelt.

And who would be keeping those tabs?

The club with an interim manager?

LEADERLESS, DIRECTIONLESS, POINTLESS EXECUTIVE CELTIC

The one with an interim Chairman? With a vacancy for a Head of Football Operations? Or  a hologram CEO who hasn’t had the courage to speak to Celtic TV during 2026.

Not even a scripted dialogue with Gerry McCulloch. The anchor man asking the softest of questions to highlight just what a great guy Nicholson really is.

Or has Bobadilla been identified by the nameless recruitment team that added Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Shin Yamada, Hayato Inamura and Joel Mvuka to the wage roll?

Celtic provide an open canvas for speculation. No one genuinely knows what is going on inside the club.

Anyway, in trademark fashion Football Insider claims:

Celtic  have set their sights on a move to sign Sao Paolo midfielder Damian Bobadilla ahead of the summer transfer window,  sources have told Football Insider.

The 24-year-old has made 16 appearances across all competitions this season, scored two goals and provided two assists as a key part of the starting XI.

A number of clubs across Europe are watching the midfielder closely and have been impressed by his performances in Brazil so far this term.

As I revealed on the latest edition of  Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, Celtic are set to keep tabs on Bobadilla’s performances at the World Cup.

The Sao Paolo star is likely to represent Paraguay in the U.S.A, and a strong showing could tempt  Celtic to accelerate their summer transfer plans.

Football Insider  revealed earlier this month that  Celtic want to sign a new midfielder  in the summer amid interest in Kilmarnock star David Watson.

Bobadilla has now emerged as an outside option for the Hoops, having been impressed by his performances for Sao Paolo over the last season.

Bobadilla has played 16 matches this season for Sao Paolo, he has 17 caps for Paraguay and will be looking for transfer on the back of the World Cup Finals.

Celtic’s record of signing players from South America is horrific.

This summer the club needs their biggest ever rebuild.

So far there is absolutely no sign of preparations being made for that purpose.

THE NEXT O’RILEY?

The usual sources and vested interests will be pushing their players towards their favoured Celtic decision makers.

If they are young, cost under £3m and on low wages there is every chance that they’ll be getting promoted as the next Matt O’Riley over the summer months.

Unfortunately the reality is that they’ll likely turn out to be the next Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Shin Yamada, Michel Ange Balikwisha or Maik Nawrocki.

Stay tuned to Football Insider for the most far flung and unlikely of Celtic transfer rumours.