EXCLUSIVE Celtic were in a frenzy of signing activity yesterday as they completed the protracted #5.5m signing of West Ham United's Israeli playmaker Eyal Berkovic and Sheffield United defender Olivier Tebily. They then immediately set their sights on spending another #5m on bringing Everton's Nicky Barmby to Parkhead.
The Berkovic deal, a record-equalling Scottish signing ranking alongside Rangers' purchase of Andrei Kanchelskis from Fiorentina last summer, was concluded yesterday and the player is expected to fly out with his new team-mates for their pre-season tour of Norway tomorrow.
Before sealing that deal, Parkhead coach John Barnes had made approaches to Everton for England internationalist Nick Barmby.
The 25-year-old, who can play wide on the right or on the left, has been involved in deals worth an astonishing #11m during his career. First of all, he moved from Spurs, where he started his senior career, to Middlesbrough four years ago in a deal which brought the London club a fee of #5,250,000. Just more than a year later, after playing for England in the European Championship Finals, he moved on to Everton for a sum of #5,750,000.
The new man in charge at Celtic appeared alongside the Goodison-based player as his own England performances petered out and Barmby moved into the national squad. Everton are not keen to sell but their manager, Walter Smith, the one-time Rangers manager, has been instructed to ease the financial problems at the club during the close season. If Celtic now follow up their initial approach with a major offer, then they will land the player who has won 10 English caps.
So far, Everton have sold three members of their first-team squad and brought in more than #11m but some of that cash has to go on completing the signing of striker Kevin Campbell from Turkish club Galatasaray and the Merseyside club, still strapped for cash, could be forced to accept a bid from Celtic for a player who is highly valued by them.
If Barmby can be added to the signings already made then the spending at Parkhead since Barnes and his mentor, Kenny Dalglish, took over will have soared to around #12m when the fees for Olivier Tebily and Stilian Petrov are added to the Berkovic fee and the likely cost for the latest target, Barmby.
Tebily, who has signed a five- year contract, said: ''I am very pleased to have signed for Celtic. This is an enormous club with a great history and I am looking forward to playing in Scotland and working with John Barnes.''
The head coach said he was delighted to have Tebily on board. He said: ''He is a strong and committed player who will play a vital role in our defensive set-up.
Dalglish added: ''Olivier is another key addition to John Barnes' squad. We look forward to him playing his part in ensuring success for Celtic.''
Berkovic is expected to undergo his medical today and should he pass and tie up the loose ends of his contract, such as his personal terms, believed to be in excess of #25,000 per week, will be a Celtic player in the next 48 hours.
The midfielder is seen as the jewel in the crown of new-look Celtic under Dalglish and Barnes and the pair will be delighted that their delicate operation to prise him away from Upton Park has proved a success.
It is understood that the Londoners have a further clause in the contract allowing them to some more money should the player be involved in a specified number of games for club and country.
Their manager, Harry Redknapp, is now looking to strengthen his squad before the new season but he was full of praise for the man Graeme Souness heralded as one of the most exciting players around when he brought him to Southampton
''A few people questioned my judgment when I paid #1.4m for Eyal but I've made a #4m profit - that's not bad is it?
''I didn't want him to go but he's doubling his money up there and we couldn't match that.''
The transfer fee eclipses Celtic's previous record, the #3.5m they paid out to Bolton Wanderers for Alan Stubbs in July, 1996.
West Ham secretary Graham Mackrell said Celtic's aficionados ''can look forward to a very talented player'', adding: ''He is very skilful and he will suit the Celtic style.
''With respect to the rest of Scottish football, the Celtic and Rangers players are used to playing in games where they get lots of possession.
''That style will suit Eyal down to the ground and he will become a favourite very quickly.''
Celtic's UEFA Cup opponents, Cwmbran, yesterday concluded the deal to bring Brazilians Alain Freitas and Sandro Grigorio to the club, as revealed by The Herald on Wednesday.
Manager Tony Wilcox said: ''Obviously, this is a very exciting time for us, but even before we got the Celtic pairing we in- tended to cast our net far and wide across Europe and South America for fresh talent.
''We want to mount a strong challenge for domestic honours next season and we looked further afield for players because I do not believe there are any players around the South Wales area who would strengthen our squad.''
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