BRAZILIAN defender Fabricio Bruno has gone to court in his bid to quit Cruzeiro and open the way to a January move to Celtic.
The player wants his contract cancelled and has claimed he has not been paid for the past six months.
He also wants the club to pay him £2million he insists he is owed.
Neil Lennon has confirmed his interest in Bruno, but has made clear the eight-in-a-row champions will not pay over the odds.
Bruno has stepped up his efforts to be become a free agent and secure his escape from the side that has just been relegated from the top flight.
His lawyer, Joao Chiminazzo, has demanded the contract is annulled by stating in a report in the Daily Record: “There is no prospect of matters improving in Cruzeiro and no prospect of the late salary arriving.
“This is a club, remember, who cannot even afford to pay their cooks at the moment.
“The situation of the club is that there is no chance of payment of wage arrears.
“The debt will only increase with the complainant, Fabricio Bruno, unable to get a get a new job until this situation is resolved.”
The Parkhead outfit are monitoring the situation and are likely to make a move in the January transfer window.
Boss Lennon has admitted he is looking for four new players to strengthen the squad as he hopes to make an impact on the domestic and European fronts.
Slovan Bratislava striker Andraz Sporar, rated by his club in the £7million bracket, is also on his radar.