The summer transfer window is quite some time away, and Celtic still have a lot to play for this season. The Premiership title race hangs in the balance. Hearts have a five-point lead, but things can change quickly, especially as Derek McInnes' side do not have the experience of getting past the finish line. The pressure could start to show on them pretty soon, although the two Glasgow teams seem just as likely to drop points based on recent displays.

For now, Celtic's focus has to be on what's ahead. This weekend, they are also set to play Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup. Last weekend's league matchup ended in a 2-2 draw, making this fixture all the more intriguing.

Off the pitch, it looks like Celtic are already working on moves for the summer, which is good to see. The Hoops' inefficiency when it comes to recruitment has been constantly talked about over the years.

Marcelo Saracchi has enjoyed a solid loan spell at Celtic, having been brought in from Boca Juniors in the summer. When fit and available, he has been involved and done well, despite being behind Kieran Tierney.

Celtic needed to find a replacement for Greg Taylor, who left in the summer. And Saracchi has done an admirable job of filling that role. Now, it appears that the club want to sign him on a permanent basis.

According to FootballTransfers, Marcelo Tejera, the agent of Saracchi, said on Carve Deportiva’s 'Minuto 1' program: “Celtic are delighted with him.

“I even have a meeting tomorrow [Friday] with the general manager of Celtic because they want to start moving forward with the purchase. And we’ll see between now and the end of the loan if it’s good for him to stay there.

“There are possibilities of going to a team in England that contacted me or another team in Brazil.”

Signing Saracchi permanently would be the right step for Celtic. They definitely need a backup option at left-back, considering Tierney's extensive injury history. The Scotsman has been relatively fit throughout the campaign, but the Hoops need to be ready, in case his issues crop back up in the future.

Saracchi has proven that he can fill that role quite well. If Celtic allow him to leave, they will need to go out and sign somebody else.

There is no guarantee that whoever comes in after Saracchi will be as good as the Uruguayan international. On the contrary, when you consider Celtic's recent recruitment record, there is a decent chance that they won't be.

That being said, any permanent deal would have to fit within Celtic's limitations. The Scottish club are not going to go out and spend big on a backup left-back. That simply is not going to happen, no matter how good Saracchi is.

Let's hope that Boca Juniors are willing to part ways with him for a decent transfer fee. Interest from clubs in England and Brazil will only push up the price though, and make things more difficult for Celtic.

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