Wanyama’s transfer to Southampton sets a new Scottish record.
Premier League side Southampton have won the race to sign Celtic’s coveted Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama, according to BBC Sport.
Southampton have completed the £12.5m deal, that sets a new record for a transfer received by a Scottish club. The record is already held by Celtic, who sold Aiden McGeady to Spartak Moscow for £9.5m in 2010.
Midfield enforcer Wanyama was withdrawn from Celtic’s squad that lost a friendly in Germany on Tuesday, and has now agreed terms on a long-term deal with the south coast side.
Although fans of the Scottish club will be disappointed to see their star player leave, they will no doubt take heart from the huge profit Wanyama will have made them. They signed him from Belgian side Beerschot for only £900,000 two years ago.
The deal will represent a real coup for Southampton, as the tough-tackler had been previously linked with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal earlier in the summer.
Southampton have showed for the second summer running that they are not afraid of taking risks in the transfer market. Last July they won the race to sign silky Uruguayan Gaston Ramirez, who was also linked with Europe’s elite for months beforehand. Already this window, Argentinian manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed classy centre-back Dejan Lovren for £8.5m in an attempt to push Southampton further away from the drop zone.
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