Celtic target Vasilis Barkas is in Scotland right now and has already met with manager Neil Lennon ahead of his signing being confirmed tomorrow, Greek outlet Gazzetta reports.
They say that Barkas has completed his medical and is set to be unveiled on Thursday morning at Celtic Park.
He’s been given a tour of the club’s training base at Lennoxtown, meeting his new coaches, and now looks set to finalise a reported £4.5m deal (Scottish Sun)
Gazzetta say he will put pen to paper on a three-year contract, with the option of a fourth year.
The Greek international arrives as Fraser Forster’s replacement, who returned to parent club Southampton at the start of the month.
Celtic are reported to have weighed up a number of other options including Joe Hart and David Marshall, but it’s Barkas who has emerged as the prime pick.
It’s a transfer outside of the norm when it comes to goalkeepers at the Bhoys.
For a decade we’ve relied primarily on British trained players such as Forster and Craig Gordon, both of whom arrived pretty cheaply.
Head of Footballing Operations Nick Hammond, coach Stevie Woods and Lennon clearly see potential in Barkas who, at 26, could be a mainstay for years at the Scottish champions.
If the deal is indeed confirmed tomorrow he will become Celtic’s second signing of the summer transfer window after the loan move for Mohamed Elyounoussi.
In other news, Greek legend Nikos Sarganis has tipped Barkas to become one of Europe’s best shot-stoppers.
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