Celtic land Bellamy, Gers line up Ferguson return

Mark Bradley

The 25-year-old striker came through a medical in Glasgow after turning down the chance to join Birmingham earlier in the day.

Bellamy agreed to join the Parkhead giants on loan until the end of the season where he will team up with Wales team-mate John Hartson.

After talks with Birmingham manager Steve Bruce, the Welsh international decided the £6million permanent deal was not right for him. Bruce tried to get Bellamy on loan until the end of the season but that was not acceptable to Newcastle.

And Blackburn midfielder Barry Ferguson was on the brink of a midnight return to Celtic's Glasgow rivals, Rangers. The former Gers captain was undergoing a medical as the two clubs closed in on agreement of a transfer fee. The Ewood Park club had rejected two bids from Ibrox for the Scotland international, who had handed a transfer request to the Premiership side in a bid to return to Glasgow.

Ferguson's agent, John Viola, confirmed the player was undergoing preparations for an emotional return to the club he left in August 2003.

But the player's representative stressed the deal was not quite "100% complete" just yet.

Viola said: "Barry is having a medical but there is still a wee bit to go on agreement. But they are close enough to allow him to go for a medical tonight so that will tell you that maybe things will go through."

Southampton may have admitted defeat in their efforts to sign Ireland's Andy Reid, but they were successful in bringing Henri Camara to St Mary's, agreeing a loan deal until the end of the season for the Senegalese striker who is a Wolves player but has been on loan at Celtic.

They paid an undisclosed six-figure fee for the loan of a player Harry Redknapp hopes will score the goals to secure Saints' top-flight status.

They also completed a deal which sees Olivier Bernard leave Newcastle to join on a five-month deal.

Of further deals to go through, Jermaine Pennant's loan from Arsenal to Birmingham remains conditional on his personal circumstances. Pennant is due in court today to answer a drink-driving charge.

Nicolas Anelka, Vincent Candela, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Mikel Arteta and Graham Stuart also found new clubs.

There were plenty of clubs eager to buy, but fewer prepared to sell and a proposed deal for Spurs' Simon Davies to join Everton from Tottenham was understood to have floundered on those grounds.

Manchester United midfielder Djemba-Djemba sealed a permanent switch to Aston Villa after the 23-year-old passing a medical. Villa paid an initial fee of £1.35million for Djemba-Djemba, with further payments of up to £500,000 depending on appearances.

There was an early confirmation of Anelka's £7million move from Manchester City to Turkish giants Fenerbahce, after the French striker passed a medical while Kevin Keegan also agreed to let reserve goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus join Rangers for a six-figure sum., believed to be £100,000.

Anelka's one-time international team-mate Candela announced that he had joined Bolton on a five-month deal from Serie A giants Roma.

Everton signed former Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta from Real Sociedad on loan until the end of the season, with a view to making the transfer permanent.