Celtic are closing in on another January signing as Jocelin Ta Bi prepares to complete a move to Glasgow in the coming days.
The Ivorian winger is expected to join the Hoops in a deal worth around £2 million as the club continues to reshape its squad. Ta Bi has spent the current season on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva, where his performances have drawn attention from clubs across Europe.
Celtic have moved quickly to secure his signature, with the transfer now viewed as a matter of timing rather than uncertainty. The move comes during a busy and intense period for the club following recent changes behind the scenes and on the coaching staff.
Martin O’Neill’s return as manager until the end of the season has brought renewed focus on recruitment and squad balance. Wide areas have been identified as a priority, and Ta Bi fits the profile of a right-sided attacker with pace and confidence.
At 21, he is seen as a player with room to grow rather than an immediate finished product. Celtic’s recruitment team have tracked his development closely during his loan spell in Israel.
The club believe his style suits the demands of Scottish football and the tempo required at Celtic Park. Ta Bi’s background and recent journey have shaped his outlook as he prepares for the biggest move of his career so far.
The winger has now spoken openly about what the transfer means to him and the people who helped him reach this stage.
He said: (TCW), “Playing for a club like Celtic is a dream come true for me.
“But without the support and love I received in Israel, I would not have reached these levels.
“The decision to come here and the trust I received from the club and my friends led me to progress.
“I will not forget the period I have had on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva and the love and warmth that surrounded me.
“I am going to fulfil a big dream, at a famous club and in one of the best stadiums in the world.”
Ta Bi’s words underline how significant the move feels for a player stepping onto a much larger stage. Celtic Park, with its scale and expectation, represents a major jump from his recent surroundings.
Celtic see the signing as an investment that balances future potential with immediate squad needs. The £2 million fee reflects belief in his ability rather than a finished level of performance.
O’Neill has often worked well with wide players who are willing to learn and commit to structure. Ta Bi’s pace and directness could offer something different in matches where space is limited.
It has to be noted. Opposition to the proposed move has intensified after the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel wrote directly to Celtic, urging the club to abandon the deal. PACBI, a founding member of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, has warned the transfer cannot be viewed as a standard piece of football business. [Herald]
In a strongly worded intervention, the organisation argued that Israeli clubs are not neutral sporting institutions and claimed any financial transaction with Maccabi Netanya would amount to complicity in Israel’s human rights abuses against Palestinians. The group highlighted Netanya’s ownership by Aliya Capital Partners, whose investments include a significant stake in Israeli military drone manufacturer XTEND, a company it says has supplied thousands of drones to the Israeli military since the start of the war in Gaza.
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I’m glad Celtic signed this young guy, if only to make a statement that Celtic is a football club, not the international criminal court. It’s one in the eye for the Red Brigade and other Marxist agitators.