Hoops chief chasing last-minute recruits

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has revealed the club hope to beat the Champions League deadline by snapping up another new player within the next 24 hours.

The Parkhead side completed the signing of 22-year-old Adam Virgo on a four-year deal this evening but the player is recovering from a knee operation and will not be available for another four weeks.

That leaves Gordon Strachan still needing to fill the right-back position ahead of next week’s Champions League qualifier, but Lawwell had reassuring words for Hoops fans.

“With regard to other signings we are still working on a number of possibilities,” he said.

“Clearly we have had some injuries that we hadn’t planned for and certainly over the next 24 hours we are trying to plug one of those gaps.”

Lawwell defended the decision to swoop for the injured Virgo, who broke down during pre-season training.

He added: “You’ve got to look at the long term as well. This is a boy with a tremendous future.

“He has signed a four-year contract and you don’t want to run the risk of losing him.”

Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura also remains high on Celtic’s wanted list but Lawwell does not expect any deal to be completed before next week.

He is also well aware that the 27-year-old Reggina midfielder is being courted by clubs in Europe.

He said: “We are still working on that but I don’t think it will be resolved until next week.

“There is strong interest from clubs in Germany and Spain but we are in there and we hope to resolve it one way or another next week.

“We’ll see how that develops.”

Meanwhile Virgo is hoping the right-back position will be his own once he is fully fit.

He said: “Even though I played the majority of last season up front for Brighton I see my natural position as centre-back.

“But at the minute Gordon has made it clear that I’m playing for a right-back spot so that’s what I’ll do.”

Virgo insists he will soon be back fit for Celtic’s domestic and European campaign.

“I saw the doctor today at Celtic and they’re happy with the current state of my injury,” he said.

“With some intense training to get my level of fitness back up and some proper rehab work no doubt I’ll be back very soon.

“You have to be mentally ready – which I am – but you can’t play for Celtic until you are 100% fit.”