Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo has been thoroughly impressed by the early performances of new striker Camilo Duran during the club’s pre-season campaign, openly claiming that the Colombian already possesses qualities strikingly similar to those of recently departed forward Daizen Maeda.
The Finnish shot-stopper’s dressing-room endorsement has only added to the growing sense of excitement surrounding the 24-year-old, who arrived at Parkhead earlier this month and has wasted little time making his presence felt.
Duran completed a move from Azerbaijani side Qarabag for a fee reported to be in the region of £6 million and signed a five-year contract. The deal made him Celtic’s first permanent summer signing under manager Martin O’Neill and the first Colombian to represent the club. Since linking up with his new teammates, the forward has scored in each of Celtic’s three subsequent friendly matches, culminating in a goal and an assist during Saturday’s entertaining 2-2 draw with AC Milan at Celtic Park on 25 July 2026.
While Duran’s clinical finishing and classic “fox-in-the-box” instincts have already generated plenty of enthusiasm among the Celtic support, Sinisalo believes the Colombian’s relentless pressing and high work rate could prove every bit as valuable to the team as his goalscoring threat. Those attributes were hallmarks of Maeda’s four-and-a-half-year spell at the club, during which the Japanese international became a firm favourite for his tireless energy, attacking output and ability to set the tone from the front.
Maeda’s departure was confirmed only days earlier, on 25 July 2026, when he completed a reported £10 million switch to newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town. The 28-year-old left Celtic having scored 79 goals in 212 appearances and collected five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups. His exit left a clear void in the attacking ranks, one that the club is actively looking to fill.
Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh has emerged as the primary target for O’Neill, with reports suggesting an £11 million fee that would represent a club-record outlay. The 25-year-old Danish international is understood to be close to undergoing a medical, and O’Neill confirmed after the Milan game that progress was being made. Yet amid the speculation surrounding Hogh, a growing number of voices inside the dressing room and among supporters are beginning to ask whether Celtic may already have found a natural successor to Maeda in the shape of Duran.
Can Celtic’s New Boy Become Maeda 2.0?
Against AC Milan at Parkhead, Duran opened the scoring in the 11th minute after capitalising on a defensive lapse by the Italian visitors. Strahinja Pavlovic’s misplaced pass across the six-yard box presented the Colombian with a simple opportunity, and he finished calmly with his left foot. Later in the first half he again showed sharp instincts and desire, intercepting a careless ball before laying it off for James Forrest to fire Celtic into a 2-0 lead. Although Milan fought back after the interval with two goals from teenager Francesco Camarda, Duran’s contribution had already underlined his ability to be in the right place at the right time and to force errors through aggressive pressing.
Speaking after the match, Sinisalo highlighted exactly those qualities when assessing Duran’s rapid integration into the squad. “It’s not just his goals, but you can see the work rate,” the goalkeeper told Celtic TV. “He is the one starting the press. When you have someone like that starting the press, everyone else follows. It’s so important.
“He has done so well. Three goals in three games – you can’t really wish for a better start. He has done really well, and long may that continue. It’s the work other than the goals that everyone appreciates, especially the players that you play with. That’s the work that doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Those comments carry extra weight coming from a teammate who has watched Duran at close quarters throughout pre-season. The Colombian’s willingness to chase lost causes, harass defenders and set the defensive tone from the front mirrors the style that made Maeda such an effective presence under successive managers at Celtic. O’Neill himself had already drawn a similar comparison earlier in the summer after Duran scored on his introduction against Sporting CP, describing the new signing as potentially “the second Maeda” in terms of closing players down and showing a genuine willingness to work for the team.
Last season at Qarabag, Duran scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions, including five goals in the Champions League. That European pedigree is something Celtic clearly value. Danish striker Hogh has also demonstrated prolific form on the continental stage, most recently with Bodø/Glimt, and an £11 million deal for the 25-year-old would underline the club’s ambition to strengthen the attacking options further. The pattern is clear: Celtic are prioritising forwards who have already proven they can deliver goals at the highest level in Europe.
After the Milan friendly, O’Neill reinforced that approach. “Without going too deeply into it, that’s the calibre of player that we’d be looking for – who has scored goals in the Champions League,” the manager said. “I’m hoping that players coming into the football club who are of some sort of substance… I think that would be the exciting thing for fans. I’m hoping that’s the case.”
Hoops Seek Further Attacking Reinforcements
While Duran’s early form has provided an immediate boost and a ready-made option who already understands the demands of pressing high and contributing both goals and work rate, Celtic remain active in the market. The potential arrival of Hogh would give O’Neill greater flexibility and depth in the final third, allowing him to rotate or even experiment with different attacking combinations as the season progresses.
Duran himself has spoken positively about the possibility of working alongside new arrivals. He has made it clear he is ready to play in whatever system the manager prefers and is focused on continuing his strong start once competitive action begins. Celtic open their Scottish Premiership title defence at home to Dundee on 3 August 2026, giving the squad just over a week to fine-tune preparations after the Milan game.
Sinisalo’s public endorsement is particularly significant because it reflects the view from within the dressing room rather than external hype. Goalkeepers often have a unique perspective on the work rate of forwards; they see the pressing triggers, the recovery runs and the constant harrying that may not always show up on a scoresheet. When a player of Sinisalo’s standing highlights those unseen contributions, it carries genuine credibility among teammates and supporters alike.
Maeda’s departure inevitably leaves a gap in both output and character. His relentless energy and ability to stretch opposing defences were central to Celtic’s success over recent seasons. Yet the early evidence suggests Duran possesses a comparable blend of finishing instinct and defensive industry. Three goals in three friendlies is an eye-catching start by any measure, and the fact that those goals have been accompanied by assists and consistent pressing only strengthens the case that Celtic may already have secured a player capable of filling a significant portion of the void left by the Japanese star.
Of course, pre-season form must be treated with caution. Friendly matches lack the intensity and tactical discipline of competitive fixtures, and the true test for Duran will come when the Premiership campaign begins and European nights arrive. Nevertheless, the combination of his goalscoring record at Qarabag, his immediate impact in Glasgow, and the glowing verdict from a senior teammate such as Sinisalo has created a tangible sense of optimism around the new signing.
As Celtic continue to pursue further attacking reinforcements – with Hogh the most advanced target – the presence of Duran already offers O’Neill a ready-made option who appears to tick many of the boxes previously associated with Maeda. The dressing-room verdict is clear: the Colombian’s work rate, pressing ability and clinical edge have not gone unnoticed. For a support still adjusting to the loss of a popular figure, that early endorsement and the accompanying excitement provide a welcome note of positivity as the new season approaches.
Whether Duran ultimately becomes “Maeda 2.0” remains to be seen over the course of a long campaign. What is already evident is that Celtic have added a forward whose style and attitude align closely with the high-intensity approach the club has favoured in recent years. Combined with the potential arrival of another proven goalscorer in Hogh, the early signs suggest the attacking ranks are being reshaped with purpose – and that one of the key pieces may already be in place.