Celtic have enjoyed a relatively impressive start to the season in all competitions in Brendan Rodgers’ second year in the dugout, after his return to the club in the summer of 2023.
The Northern Irish head coach returned to Parkhead to replace Ange Postecoglou as manager and won the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup in the 2023/24 campaign.
So far this term, the Hoops are top of the Premiership on goal difference, with eight wins and one draw in nine games, and are in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Celtic have also picked up four points from their first three matches in the Champions League, after finishing bottom of their group under Rodgers last term.
Whilst it has been a fantastic start to the season, there are always ways to improve the team and the recruitment staff will be constantly looking at potential additions to come in and bolster the group.
For example, Celtic were on course to win the title last season and still dipped into the market in January to add Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn to the squad.
With this in mind, Rodgers could swoop to improve his squad in the upcoming January transfer window, amid recent links with an addition on the flank.
Celtic's interest in Chile star
Earlier this month, The Boot Room reported that Celtic are interested in Dario Osorio and are one of a number of teams keen on the young talent.
They look set to face plenty of competition for his signature, though, as the report claimed that Premier League sides Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Newcastle United are also keeping tabs on his progress.
The outlet added that both Celtic and Premiership rivals Rangers ‘admire’ the Chile international and are, therefore, among the clutch of clubs interested in acquiring his services.
There are also unnamed teams from France and Spain showing an interest in the 20-year-old winger, which means that the Hoops would need to beat off competition from a host of sides across Europe to land the attacker in January, or next summer.
The Boot Room did not mention, however, how much Midtjylland would want for the left-footed starlet, whose contract with the Danish side does not expire until the summer of 2028, with his Transfermarkt value standing at €7m (£6m).
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They are in no rush to cash in on the Chilean sensation, due to him having the best part of four years left on his deal, and that could allow them to demand a significant sum of money for his services.
Osorio could be worth investing a big fee on, though, as the talented youngster has already been compared to a modern-day icon of the game – Angel Di Maria.
Angel Di Maria's career
The Argentina international, who currently plays for Benfica, has enjoyed a sensational career for club and country as a left-footed right winger, who loves to cut inside onto his stronger foot from the flank.
Before returning to Benfica in 2023, Di Maria enjoyed fruitful spells at Real Madrid, PSG, and Juventus, as well as a short time with Manchester United in England.
The left-footed star produced 36 goals and 85 assists in 190 matches for Real Madrid during his time in Spain, and followed that up with a sublime return of 93 goals and 119 assists in 295 appearances for PSG in all competitions.
Crossing (very strong)
Defensive contributions (weak)
Holding onto the ball (very strong)
Passing (very strong)
Through balls (very strong)
Key passes (very strong)
Direct free-kicks (very strong)
Taking set-pieces (very strong)
Long shots (strong)
Dribbling (strong)
Finishing (strong)
As you can see in the table above, WhoScored deems him to be very impressive in a host of key attacking, particularly creative, attributes but suggests that he struggles out of possession.
This is backed up by his impressive hauls of goals and assists at several huge European clubs, as well as his record of 31 goals and 32 assists in 145 games for Argentina – including a goal and an assist in the 2022 World Cup final against France.
Rodgers could now land his own version of Di Maria, possibly in style more than quality, by securing a deal for the in-demand Midtjylland star Osorio.
Why Dario Osorio could be Celtic's own Angel Di Maria
Firstly, the 20-year-old talent is similar to the Argentine hero in style in the sense that he is also a left-footed forward who predominantly plays on the right flank.
Like the former Real Madrid and PSG star, Osorio could line up on the right wing and showcase his quality by cutting inside onto his left foot to make things happen in the final third.
As you can see in the post above, talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed him a “flamboyant” whiz who is similar to Di Maria in style, whilst handing him a potential of 8/10 as a prospect.
He also listed dribbling, ball control, and creativity among his best attributes and they are similar to some of the strengths that WhoScored listed for the World Cup winner.
The Chile international has also shown signs of promise at first-team level already, despite his young age, after an impressive debut year in the Superliga last term.
Appearances
23
Starts
15
Goals
8
Big chances missed
0
Big chances created
4
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old wizard contributed with 12 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just 15 starts in the Danish top-flight, without missing a single ‘big chance’.
So far this season, Osorio has contributed with one goal and two ‘big chances’ created in six league starts for his club, which shows that the young ace already has the maturity to impact games at senior level.
Therefore, Rodgers could bring the left-footed star to Parkhead in January and look to develop him over the years to come in order to unearth his own version of Di Maria in Glasgow.
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