Celtic set to sign Qarabag forward Camilo Duran for £5.5m

By Amy Canavan, BBC Sport Scotland

As a consolation goal caressed the bottom corner of the net, a sprinkling of Newcastle supporters applauded Camilo Duran's smart effort.

The home fans at St James' Park could afford to be generous since their side were leading Qarabag 8-2 on aggregate in their Champions League knockout play-off.

The Azerbaijan outfit's run in Europe's premier competition came to a crashing end, as Eddie Howe's side comfortably advanced to the last 16, but their star performer enjoyed one last act in the spotlight.

It was the 24-year-old's fifth Champions League goal, having scored in their league phase wins against Benfica and Eintracht Frankfurt (twice) and in defeat to Ajax. He ended the campaign with as many goals as Vinicius Junior, Michael Olise and eventual winner Desire Doue.

That impressive tally has bumped up his price tag to a reported £5.5m, as he becomes Celtic's first new recruit of the summer.

But who is Duran — signed by Qarabag last year for a fraction of that price — and what can supporters of the Scottish champions expect from the Colombian forward?

'Hot-headed' but flexible forward

Having spent his senior career in Portugal's second tier prior to the move to Azerbaijan, Duran first left his homeland for Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo.

A lucrative opportunity — albeit on loan — for many in South America, but even more so for a lad who grew up in a tough area of Santa Marta.

"He was a hot-headed, mischievous kid who liked to fight with everyone."

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— Sebastian Botero, Duran's former coach at Independiente Medellin, speaking to the Evening Times

"But his life changed when he joined a football academy. He was sent on loan to Flamengo and they would have signed him if it wasn't for the fact he suffered an injury."

A setback for sure, but Duran didn't allow it to hold him back as he headed for Europe in 2022.

Having arrived at Botero's Independiente Medellin as a midfielder, he was moulded into a forward before packing those lessons into his luggage for Portugal.

According to Transfermarkt, he has played:

• 38 games as a centre-forward
• 25 games as a right winger — despite being left-footed
• 9 games wide on the left
• A smattering of other positions

Such versatility would appear to suit Celtic, who have enjoyed the flexibility of Daizen Maeda in recent seasons in lieu of a traditional number nine.

When deployed as a striker, Duran has scored 14 goals and picked up 10 assists.

'Pressure fuels' powerful and pacey Duran

In his only season in Azerbaijan, he made 45 appearances with 25 goal contributions (15 goals, 10 assists), but it wasn't enough for record-winners Qarabag to retain the league title.

While their European exploits yielded praise, there would have been pressure to record a fifth successive league championship. They finished as runners-up, nine points behind Sabah.

"Camilo has always been a bit of a rebel. That's why pressure doesn't weigh him down — it fuels him."

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— Sebastian Botero

"If logic says everything is against him, he does everything in his power to turn the situation in his favour."

Speaking of power, his hold-up play is something Martin O'Neill highlighted when first revealing a deal for Duran was close, in the aftermath of a 1-1 friendly draw with Shelbourne.

At St James' Park in February, he raced clear of Dan Burn and buried a shot beyond another England international, Aaron Ramsdale.

Celtic fans will hope to see more of the same.