Stokes on brink of Celtic switch

Celtic boss Neil Lennon is expected to complete the signing of Anthony Stokes today, providing the Hibernian striker passes a medical.

Stokes will be Lennon’s 11th signing of the summer and the deal will reportedly earn Hibernian a £1.2m transfer fee.

The Republic of Ireland international was top scorer at Easter Road last season and joins his boyhood heroes at the second time of asking after rejecting them in January 2007 for a move to Sunderland.

With Marc-Antoine Fortune leaving Celtic for West Brom on Friday, Morten Rasmussen on loan at German club Mainz and Gary Hooper out for another month with a calf injury, Lennon was keen to bolster his attacking options before the close of the transfer window tonight at midnight and Stokes was his first option.

The 22-year-old, who has three caps for the Republic of Ireland, first made his mark in Scottish football with Falkirk during the first half of season 2006/07, when he was on loan from Arsenal.

His move to Sunderland in January 2007 did not work out and the striker had further loan spells with Sheffield United and Crystal Palace before making a permanent move to Hibs last year when he teamed up with former Bairns boss John Hughes.

Hibs manager Hughes had to reconcile himself with losing Stokes to Celtic but he moved to replace the Dubliner yesterday by signing former Rangers and Falkirk striker Darryl Duffy on loan from Bristol Rovers.