AJETI SET TO JOIN CELTIC

ALBIAN AJETI is poised to sign for Celtic on an initial year-long loan deal after the West Ham striker last night agreed in principle to the move. The 23-year-old Swiss held talks with the Parkhead hierarchy a week ago after being told by Hammers manager David Moyes that he was surplus to requirements. An £8million signing from Basel a year ago, the player asked for time to consider his options after a one-year loan to Parkhead with a £5m option to buy were discussed.

Sportsmail understands, however, that ‘significant progress’ was made in negotiations yesterday, with

Ajeti now set to fly north and complete the formalities. A full Swiss international, the player has struggled to settle in London and failed to score in his 12 appearances to date. Celtic believe he is a player of enormous promise, though, and hope to secure a first-refusal clause on his services as they did with Odsonne Edouard. Contrary to reports last night, Celtic have not tabled a second bid for Ivan Toney. Rebuffed after making Peterborough an initial £4m offer, they appear to have drawn a line under their pursuit of the man who scored 40 goals in two seasons in League One. It also seems that a move for Steven Fletcher is at an end, with no further discussions following the former Sheffield Wednesday player’s rejection of a one-year deal. Celtic, meanwhile, will face either Ferencvaros of Hungary or Djurgarden of Sweden in the Champions League second qualifying round if they first defeat KR Reykjavik. The Icelandic side are due to play the one-off game in Glasgow next Tuesday or Wednesday. KR see no problem in travelling to Glasgow despite Icelandic football being suspended at the end of last month because of a spike in Covid-19 cases.