Marcelo Saracchi reacts to Martin O'Neill announcement as Celtic return talk continues
Marcelo Saracchi has reacted to news of Martin O'Neill's return to Celtic on social media amid uncertainty around his own future at the club.
O'Neill has been reappointed as Celtic's new permanent manager following his successful interim spell last term.
The club announced confirmation of his new initial one-year contract on Instagram on Wednesday afternoon.
Saracchi was among the Hoops stars past and present to like the post amid rumours around his future at Parkhead.
He struck up a close relationship with O'Neill during their time together at Celtic and is believed to be open to signing for the club permanently after a strong loan spell.
Several European clubs are keen on signing Saracchi as Celtic falter in talks to land his services full-time.
They could well accelerate a move for the Uruguayan left-back now that O'Neill is in place on a permanent basis.
Marcelo Saracchi impressed under Martin O'Neill at Celtic
Saracchi completed his season-long loan at Celtic last month with a key contribution to their title-winning clash against Hearts, as he started the attack that led to their second goal.
He made a real impression during his loan stint at Parkhead, with one goal and two assists in 27 games across all competitions.
Boca Juniors do need to sell Saracchi to open up an overseas player slot in their squad, and he is open to joining the Premiership champions this summer after a successful temporary spell.
After being asked if he felt Saracchi had earned a permanent move to Celtic in February, O'Neill said: "Yeah, I think they will bring Saracchi to the club permanently. I think they should do.
"He hasn’t a clue what I’m saying to him. Not a clue! I mean, I could be saying anything to him, and he would still say yes to it. I think the club should be looking at something like that.”
The 74-year-old clearly thinks highly of Saracchi, and given that he is set to be making the transfer decisions at Parkhead this summer and the left-back has reacted to his return, it seems likely that they will reunite soon.
What else has O'Neill said about Saracchi?
Sources have told Football Insider that Celtic are interested in signing Saracchi permanently, with a deal set to hinge on his personal stance.
One particular moment from their dressing room celebrations after the Hearts game stood out to many fans online, as a clip of O'Neill singling out Saracchi for praise from Celtic's official media was shared around on X.
The 74-year-old was standing in the middle of the dressing room as he told the left-back to join him and pulled him in for a hug while saying: "Special character!"