INCOMING Celtic starlet Jocelin Ta Bi insists it will be a dream come true to play for the Hoops.
The Ivory Coast winger is on his way to Glasgow to complete a £2 million move to the Scottish champions from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya, after a loan spell at Hapoel Petah Tikva.
The 20-year-old could become Martin O’Neill‘s first signing in his third stint at Parkhead and kick off what is expected to be a long line of new arrivals as Celtic face a huge fight to retain their title.
And Ta Bi admitted he was delighted to make the move.
He said: “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.
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“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.”
The move for Ta Bi is controversial for some fans after the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) wrote directly to the club calling on its board to halt the deal with Maccabi Netanya.
Ths club is owned by Aliya Capital Partners, whose investments include a major stake in Israeli military drone manufacturer XTEND.
In a strongly worded statement, PACBI said the transfer “is not just an ordinary football deal” and warned that Israeli clubs “are not neutral sporting bodies”.
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