Appiah will be Celtic's fourth deal

Gordon Strachan's hit-list looks set to be completed before the pre-season begins as he continues to move quickly for his targets.

Chris Killen is the most recent, Scott McDonald signed up in January and Scott Brown joined between the two, completing a hat-trick of shrewd signings.

It now seems likely that Neil Lennon's immediate replacement will be Fernebache's Stephen Appiah. The 26-year-old is believed to be at an advanced stage in discussions with Celtic.

The Ghanaian captain is most often seen as a combative midfielder, although he is capable in attack also (perhaps in a similar way to Scotty Brown). The price tag would likely be in the region of £3million, which would probably give Celtic enough space for another signing at a similar price.

However, one thing is for sure - Thomas Gravesen's tenure at Parkhead is well and truly over...