EX-TARGET’S £5m SWITCH

ONE-TIME Celtic target Tomas Kalas is poised to quit Chelsea in a £5million switch to Championship side Bristol City.

Neil Lennon expressed an interest in the 26-year-old Czechoslovakian international central defender, as CQN reported back in March.

The Hoops boss was already scouring the transfer market when it became obvious Belgium’s World Cup stopper Dedryck Boyata would not be signing a contract extension at the champions. Subsequently, the former Manchester City prospect ended his four-year career at Parkhead to join Hertha Berlin in the summer.

Three months ago, though, Kalas, who was on loan at the Ashton Gate outfit, was on Lennon’s radar.

The defender, who still had another two years of his contract at Stamford Bridge to run, cost £5.2million when he moved from hometown club Sigma Olomouc in 2010.

He made only four first team appearances for the Londoners and had loan spells at Vitesse, Cologne, Middlesbrough and Fulham as well as Bristol City.

Now Kalas is ready to settle at Bristol City while the Hoops are preparing to unveil £7million Toulouse centre-back Christopher Jullien as their first signing of the summer, as CQN reported.