Celtic smash Scottish transfer record to seal Brown deal
The highly-rated midfielder, 21, will join the Scottish champions on a five-year deal in the summer after a fee believed to be in the region of £4.4m was agreed with Hibernian.
The hefty price-tag tops the £4m Rangers paid Dundee United for the services of Duncan Ferguson back in 1994, which was also a British transfer record at that time.
However, Old Firm rivals Celtic have pulled out all the stops to land one of Scottish football’s hottest properties and manager Gordon Strachan believes his latest recruit will be worth every penny.
“We are delighted to have signed Scott and are excited about him joining us next season,” he said.
“He has all the attributes to be a great Celtic player and I am sure he will enjoy teaming up with the other players at the club as we try to bring more success to our supporters.”
Middlesbrough confirmed they held talks with Brown earlier in the week and the player was also linked with Everton and Tottenham during the last transfer window.
But despite having options south of the border, Brown insists the decision to remain in Scotland and sign for Celtic was an easy one to make. He said: “Everyone knows Celtic is one of the biggest names in football and the opportunity to join a club of Celtic’s stature was one I had to take.
“Celtic have enjoyed a great season, lifting the SPL Championship and making great progress in Europe. The club has a magnificent support and I will be doing all I can to make sure I play my part in delivering more and more success to these fans.”
Hibs boss John Collins paid tribute to Brown, insisting he will particularly be remembered for the part he played in this season’s CIS Insurance Cup triumph.
The club had endured a long trophy drought, but their 5-1 win over Kilmarnock at Hampden on March 18 ensured Brown collected silverware with the club before making the first move of his career.
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