Publications
Partners
Glasgow - Celtic have signed Belgium defender Dedryck Boyata from Manchester City, the Scottish champions announced on Tuesday.
Boyata agreed a four-year contract with the Glasgow side and is Celtic manager Ronny Deila's first close-season signing.
The 24-year-old, who is reported to have cost Celtic $2.2 million, will be officially unveiled at a press conference at the club's Parkhead stadium.
Boyata is expected to replace fellow Belgian Jason Denayer, who was on loan from Manchester City, in the Celtic defence next season.
"The manager came to see me in Manchester and I spoke to him about having me here and all the ideas he had for me playing for the team," Boyata told Celtic's website.
"So I was very pleased with his plans and from that point I thought that moving to Celtic would be a good idea and we tried to do everything right for me to move here."
Boyata had struggled to break into the City first team during his nine years at Eastlands and made just six appearances for Manuel Pellegrini's team last season.
He had loan spells with Bolton in 2011-12 and FC Twente in 2012-13 and his solitary cap for Belgium came as a substitute against Austria in 2010.
Celtic sign Dedryck Boyata on four-year deal http://t.co/rZ53LthKR6 (NM) pic.twitter.com/4PD69EPIj4
— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) June 2, 2015
