Celtic are reported to be close to agreeing terms with Vassilis Barkas, and making progress towards a deal with AEK Athens.
Fraser Forster had been Neil Lennon’s first choice goalkeeper for the season ahead but with that option fading, but not yet dead, attention seems to have turned to Greece.
Interestingly there is a report of interest in Barkas from Iberia which might be a negotiating card from AEK just as Celtic’s interest in the AEK keeper might be to push Southampton closer to a deal with Celtic.
With a week to go until the new season starts Scott Bain is the only keeper at Celtic with first team experience but ENWSI of Greece reports:
Barkas and Celtic are very close in terms of his contract (around 600,000 euros per year) and the Union is waiting for the new improved proposal of the Scots after the first (3.5 + 1 million euro bonus) which received a negative answer. The information states that AEK is soon waiting for the new proposal of the Celts close to 5 million euros plus a resale rate of about 15%. That will be the key to the case, the attitude of AEK in this proposal. The closer Celtic is to the 7-8 million euros that AEK started, the more we can say that the case will proceed.
AEK are already up and running with Barkas playing in six matches this month meaning that he should be ready straight away if a deal is completed.
Forster certainly knows how Celtic operate but hasn’t played any type of match since March 7 when he kept a clean sheet in Celtic’s 5-0 win over St Mirren.