Sutton Claims Celtic May Struggle To Keep Camilo Durán

How long can Celtic realistically keep Camilo Durán?

That is a question I did not expect to be asking so soon after his arrival in Glasgow, but here we are. The Colombian has quickly become one of the most exciting players in our squad, and after another decisive performance against Hibernian, I think we need to start asking ourselves how long we can hold on to him.

Durán scored the winner in Celtic’s 2–1 victory at Easter Road, taking his tally to 10 goals for the season. It was another reminder of the quality we have brought into the club, and why the decision to sign him from Qarabağ for around £6 million looks increasingly shrewd. 

But there is a problem with finding a player this good.

Eventually, other clubs notice.

And if Durán continues at this rate, I would be amazed if clubs down south were not keeping an eye on his progress.

Celtic Have Found a Gem

I think we sometimes underestimate just how important this signing could become.

Durán arrived with something to prove, having taken an unconventional route through football before making his name at Qarabağ. He was not the sort of signing that immediately generated the same excitement as an established international arriving like Høgh did. 

Yet he has quickly given Celtic something we have desperately needed: a forward who can make things happen himself.

His finishing has been excellent, but it is not just about the goals. Durán has the movement to get away from defenders, the pace to threaten in behind and the confidence to take responsibility when a game needs a moment of quality.

We saw it again against Hibs. Celtic were not exactly producing a performance that will live long in the memory, but Durán provided the moment that mattered, curling home a superb finish to secure the three points.

That is what good players do. They can turn an ordinary performance into a winning one.

The Premier League Will Be Watching

I am not suggesting that a Premier League club has already made an offer for Durán. There is a difference between reported interest and speculation about what might happen.

But surely we can see where this is heading if he keeps delivering?

English clubs have the financial muscle to offer salaries and transfer fees that Scottish football finds difficult to match. If Durán continues scoring in domestic football and produces eye-catching performances in Europe, it is only natural that clubs with bigger budgets will begin to assess whether he could make the step up.

And we should not pretend Celtic are immune to that pressure.

We have seen talented players leave Scotland when opportunities arise elsewhere. Celtic can offer trophies, European football and the chance to become a major figure at a huge club, but there will always be a financial limit to what we can offer compared with the wealthiest leagues.

The frustrating thing is that Durán looks like exactly the sort of player we should be building around.

We should be looking to improve the team alongside him, not immediately wondering how much money we could make by selling him.

Celtic Cannot Afford to Get This Wrong

For me, the biggest question is not how much Celtic could eventually receive for Durán. It is whether the club has the ambition to keep him long enough to build something around him.

We have spent years hearing about recruitment strategies, developing assets and selling players at the right time. There is nothing inherently wrong with signing talented players at a reasonable price and eventually selling them for a substantial profit.

That is part of football, particularly for a club operating in Scotland.

But there is a difference between selling a player when the timing is right and selling him simply because a big offer arrives.

If Durán scores 20 or more goals, helps Celtic win trophies and becomes one of the most dangerous forwards in the country, why would we automatically want to cash in? Keeping him could be worth more to Celtic than the immediate transfer profit, particularly if his goals help us progress further in Europe.

Of course, there is a financial calculation to make. A substantial offer could be difficult to refuse, and there is no guarantee that his form will continue indefinitely.

But Celtic must not allow the possibility of a future sale to become the entire plan.

We should be trying to create a team that makes players like Durán want to stay.

European Football Could Decide His Future

This is where things become particularly important.

Durán has already shown that he can make a difference in domestic football. The next step is helping Celtic become more competitive in Europe.

That matters because ambitious players want to test themselves at the highest level. If Celtic can offer him regular opportunities to play against Europe’s best in the Champions League, compete for trophies and develop further, we have a stronger argument for keeping him.

If, however, we continue struggling on the European stage while showing little ambition to improve the squad, we make that argument much harder.

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton recently raised precisely this concern, suggesting that players such as Durán could question their futures if Celtic’s European performances and ambitions do not improve. 

I do not want to see Durán become another example of a player arriving at Celtic, impressing everyone and then leaving because the club cannot convince him that the team is going somewhere.

If we have found a forward capable of performing at a higher level, we should be doing everything possible to help him reach that level in a Celtic shirt.

How Long Can We Keep Him?

My answer is that Celtic should be looking to keep Durán for as long as we can build a convincing sporting project around him.

If a Premier League club eventually arrives with a serious offer, the board will have a decision to make. That is inevitable when you sign talented players for relatively modest fees and they begin to outperform expectations.

But there is no reason to start preparing for his departure now.

Durán is scoring goals, making a difference in matches and giving supporters something to get excited about. After his winner against Hibs, he has reached double figures for the season, and his performances have made him one of the first names I would want in our starting XI.

We should be enjoying that rather than treating him as a future transfer fee.

For once, Celtic appear to have identified a forward with the potential to become a major player for us. The challenge now is to make sure the club benefits from his ability on the pitch before we even begin thinking about what he might be worth.

The Premier League may eventually come calling for Camilo Durán. Celtic’s job is to give him enough reasons to stay.