AMIDO Balde is about to become Celtic manager Neil Lennon's first close-season signing by agreeing a four-year contract.
The Portuguese striker successfully completed a medical during a third day of negotiations in Glasgow yesterday.
The Scottish champions have rejected a £4.5m bid for Gary Hooper from Hull City, who have just been promoted to the Barclays Premier League. Celtic rejected at least three bids for Hooper from Norwich City in January, the largest of which was worth £6m, and it remains to be seen if Hull will return with an increased offer and what fee would be acceptable to the Parkhead club, although it is understood they would try to hold out for around £7m. Hooper is out of contract next summer and has not accepted the offer for a new deal.
Balde flew to Glasgow on Monday after a fee of around £1.8m was agreed between Celtic and his club, Vitoria Guimaraes. Balde scored nine times in his 27 appearances for Guimaraes having been released by Sporting Lisbon. Balde, 22 and 6ft 4in, will give Celtic the height and physical presence Lennon has wanted in his attack. He was born in Bissau, Guinnea-Bissau, but chose to represent Portugal in international football and has been capped by them at under-19 and under-20 level.
Crystal Palace also had been reportedly interested in signing him but that was denied by the London club yesterday. Palace co-chairman Steve Parish was quoted in The Croydon Advertiser saying: "We haven't made an offer. It is a total fabrication and we have never heard of him or spoken to his representatives."
Meanwhile, Israeli international defender Rami Gershon, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Celtic, yesterday signed a two-year deal with the Belgian club Beveren. Gershon will be followed out of the club by another centre-half, Thomas Rogne, whose contract is about to end.
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