Cameron Carter-Vickers insisted being part of Celtic ’s bright future convinced him to seal a stunning £6 million move.
And boss Ange Postecoglou hailed the potentially record-busting capture as a “major acquisition” by the club as he intends to build a team equipped to compete constantly in the Champions League.
Carter-Vickers has penned a four-year contract after Parkhead chiefs thrashed out a massive deal with Tottenham.
Record Sport revealed last month that the 24-year-old had agreed personal terms with the club leaving the clubs to finalise an agreement.
That will see an initial £6 million fee paid under the terms of the option which came with last summer’s loan agreement.
But we understands that could rise significantly to as much as £10 million with future add-ons.
Such figures would eventually amount to a record transfer for the champions, but Carter-Vickers’ outstanding performances on loan last term made him a top priority for the boss.
The American desperately craved the move as he explained: “I really wanted to be part of the club’s future.
“I have loved every minute of my time at Celtic so far and I really could not be happier.
“We have a fantastic group of players at the club, we have a really good spirit and atmosphere among us and we all worked so hard together to deliver the league and League Cup success last season.
“I wanted to make sure I was part of this group going forward and working under a great manager. Now we all want to achieve more.
“We have so much to look forward to, we will aim to be strong again domestically and, of course, we look ahead with real excitement to the Champions League.
“I have received such a great welcome from everyone at the club from day one and also from our supporters. When you are fortunate enough to be inside Celtic you can see it really is one of the world’s great football clubs.
“I am delighted to be given this opportunity at a club of this stature and I will be doing all I can to play my part in bringing more and more success to our fans.”
Postecoglou is thrilled to get the key deal done: “This is a major acquisition for Celtic, really positive news for us and everyone at the club has worked so hard to make this happen.
“Cameron has given everything of himself to the club so far, demonstrating his real value to the team and to the way we play.
“He was vital to our success during the season, such a hard working player of real quality and he was an absolute model of consistency.
“When we identify a player, we always hope that they can settle into things as quickly and as easily as possible.
“Like so many other players during the season, Cameron slotted into life at Celtic brilliantly from very early on.
“He is a great guy, hugely popular and we are delighted that he sees his future with us.”
With Carter-Vickers in the bag, Celtic will now attempt to close-out a deal with Benfica for Portuguese winger Jota, who also spent last term on loan.
Postecoglou is also chasing fresh faces as he aims to defend the title and make a mark against Europe’s elite in the upcoming term and beyond.
Lanus’ 21-year-old Argentine left-back Alexandro Bernabei is the latest name on the radar.
Postecoglou explained: “My role is to make us better next year. It’s the same in the Champions League.
“It’s not just about making an impact next year, it’s about building a team that will continually make an impact and that takes time.”
