LUCA UPDATE: DEAL DONE

LUCA CONNELL’S whirlwind few days have come to a happy conclusion with a four-year agreement to sign for Celtic.

It looked as though the 18-year-old central midfielder’s move from Bolton would stall over the weekend, as CQN reported this morning.

Happily, though, the champions overcame the snags to land the highly-rated Republic of Ireland youngster.

Connell, who had earlier admitted it would be a “privilege” to wear the green-and-white hoops, came through League One Bolton’s youth ranks on a scholarship before breaking into the top side during the second half of last season, playing 12 times and earning a call-up to Mick McCarthy’s full Irish squad.

The in-demand teenager, who could cost the title kings a £250,000 development fee, was delighted to seal the deal at Parkhead before preparing to fly out to join his new team-mates at their pre-season training camp in Austria.

Wolves and newly-promoted Premier League outfits Norwich City and Sheffield United had been monitoring Connell’s situation.

However, when Neil Lennon came on the scene there was only one destination for soccer’s hottest property.