Further Disappointment For Star After Celtic Snub As Move Collapses | OneFootball

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Marcelo Saracchi has been hit with another disappointment hot on the heels of Celtic deciding not to sign him on a permanent basis.

The 28-year-old arrived at Celtic Park on a season-long loan last summer to provide cover at left-back throughout the campaign.

He went on to make 27 appearances, scoring once in a victory over Livingston and registering two assists as Celtic sealed a fifth successive domestic title.

However, a hamstring injury disrupted much of his campaign, and despite showing flashes of quality that prompted Tam McManus to describe him as ‘very good’, the Hoops opted against making the move permanent, leaving Saracchi to head back to Boca Juniors.

Back in Argentina, the full-back is firmly out of favour, with Rodolfo Arruabarrena leaving him out of his plans as Boca Juniors look to move the Uruguay international on.

An exit route appeared to emerge in early June when Turkish side Corum expressed interest in signing the defender, but the proposed transfer never got off the ground.

More recently, Houston Dynamo entered the picture as they searched for reinforcements at left-back, identifying the 28-year-old as a potential addition.

The MLS outfit even tabled an offer for the defender, but were left waiting for Boca Juniors’ response and now appear to have dropped out of the race.

According to Argentine outlet Bola Vip, the former Celtic loanee is no longer expected to join Houston after the two clubs failed to reach an agreement over the structure of the deal.

The latest bid from the MLS side was worth $1.1m, but Boca Juniors are demanding a higher fee after paying more than that to sign him from Levante in 2023.

Whether negotiations can be revived remains unclear, leaving Saracchi facing the prospect of remaining on the fringes if no agreement is reached before the transfer window shuts.

It is another disappointment for the defender after he was unable to stay at Celtic.

With the Uruguay international now off the books, Celtic are expected to strengthen at left-back and could yet revisit Greg Taylor, who is no longer part of PAOK Salonika’s plans for the upcoming Greek Super League season.

The Scottish champions have also continued to strengthen elsewhere, completing an £11m deal for Kasper Hogh, a transfer that ranks as the third-most expensive signing in the club’s history.

Celtic begin the defence of their Scottish Premiership crown at Parkhead on Monday night against Dundee, with Martin O’Neill hoping his summer arrivals can make an immediate impact.