Celtic confirm the signing of Vasilis Barkas

Scottish champions Celtic have signed Greek goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas from AEK Athens, the club confirmed on their official website.

The 26-year-old Barkas has penned a four-year deal with the Hoops, having completed a £5.5m move from the Greek giants. (h/t Daily Record)

Vasilis Barkas: Five things you need to know…

• Barkas started out with Greek outfit Atromitos. After having made 21 appearances for the club, he joined AEK Athens in 2016.
• In four years with the Greek giants, Barkas featured 111 times for the club, keeping 61 clean sheets in the process.
• The 26-year-old won the Greek Super League 1 in 2018.
• In the 2019/20 campaign, he featured 33 times in all competitions, conceding just 26 times, while keeping 16 shut-outs.
• Barkas has featured 10 times for the Greece national team.

Celtic were without a first-choice goalkeeper after Craig Gordon’s contract expired at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

However, they have now snapped up the signing of Barkas. Upon the completion of the signing the Greek international said:

“I’m very happy to come to this very big club and I can’t wait to play my first game. When my manager, my father told me that Celtic wanted me to come here, I didn’t need think about it. It’s a very good chance for me to play for a very big club.”

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• Neil Lennon admits Odsonne Edouard could be sold amidst Arsenal interest
• Celtic reject AC Milan approach for Kristoffer Ajer, slap £27m price tag

Having completed a successive ninth Scottish Premiership title, Celtic will be eyeing an unprecedented tenth consecutive league title.

Neil Lennon has already strengthened the side with the loan signing of Mohamed Elyounoussi. And now, the arrival of Barkas will further boost their credentials for a tilt at the title.

Why Celtic should move for Vasilios Barkas if loanee Fraser Forster departs

According to the Glasgow Evening Times, Celtic have been linked with a move for Greek shot-stopper Vasilios Barkas, who currently plies his trade with AEK Athens in his homeland. 

Fraser Forster has established himself as the undisputed No.1 between the sticks for the Hoops since his loan move north of the border from Southampton earlier in the summer but Neil Lennon has lined up Vasilios Barkas as a feasible alternative should the England international return to his parent club in January or next summer. 

Born in The Netherlands to parents of Greek descent, Barkas joined Greek top-flight outfit Atromitos at the youth level back in 2006 and rose through the ranks to make his senior professional debut in the 2014-15 season. 

Having caught the eye as a back-up goalkeeper at his boyhood club, the 25-year-old was snapped up by Greek giants AEK Athens in 2016 and he hasn’t looked back since then. 

The highly-rated shot-stopper, who already boasts of 10 international caps for Greece, has made a total of 88 appearances for his club in all competitions, conceding 68 goals and managing a staggering 50 clean-sheets in the process.  

Those impressive numbers haven’t eluded the eyes of some of the bigger clubs in Europe, with Celtic apparently keen to prise the 6ft.5-inch goalkeeper away from his homeland in the upcoming transfer window. 

Barkas, who has earned rave reviews for his consistently impressive performances in goal, was the subject of interest from Frech club Montpellier in the summer but AEK Athens turned down an €8 million bid for the shot-stopper’s services. (h/t Glasgow Evening Times)

To that end, it is pretty clear that AEK Athens are unlikely to let the 25-year-old depart on the cheap anytime soon and with Barkas under contract until 2022, Celtic would probably need to break the bank to bring the Greek international to Parkhead. 

Despite that, however, Barkas’ rapid development in his homeland coupled with his fully-fledged international status and experience of playing in the UEFA Champions League certainly makes him worth a punt for Celtic.

With money virtually flowing like water in the transfer market these days, it is imperative to say that quality shot-stoppers are no longer available on the cheap and Celtic should not hesitate to fork out a sizable fee for Vasilios Barkas, who has progressed by leaps and bounds and looks ready to take the next big step in his career. 

Forster is already a firm fan favourite at Parkhead and has provided a sense of reliability between the sticks for the Hoops this term, with 36-year-old Craig Gordon playing as an understudy to the Southampton loanee due to an injury to Scott Bain. 

However, with Gordon in the autumn of his career and out of contract next summer, Celtic would need to bring in a new No.1 in the future should they fail to secure the services of Forster permanently. Bain, of course, is more than handy but one does get the feeling that they need more quality to make an impact in Europe. 

Verdict

Forster’s previous experience at Parkhead, coupled with his vast know-how of the British game, certainly make him a reliable option for the Hoops but bringing in Vasilios Barkas, who is a young and developing shot-stopper at 25, could make more sense from a financial point of view looking at the long-term plans moving forward. 

Agreed, Celtic would probably need to fork out a bigger fee for Barkas that they would if they were to sign Forster permanently, but it is a no-brainer that the Greek international has the quality and the potential to be a long-term goalkeeping solution for the Hoops. 

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• Why Celtic should reignite their interest in Paddy McNair
• Why Celtic should sign Victor Wanyama in the January window

To conclude, it won’t be so straightforward for Celtic to ditch Forster in favour of signing Barkas but this is a gamble which could possibly go on to pay rich dividends in the years to come. 

Predicted Celtic line-up to face AEK Athens in Champions League qualifier

Scottish champions Celtic host AEK Athens on Wednesday in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie of the Champions League.

Celtic face four rounds of qualifiers to reach the Champions League group stage, and have already beaten Armenians Alashkert and Rosenborg.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have started their title defence in style, beating Livingston 3-1 on Saturday. After a winning start to the 2018/19 league campaign, the Bhoys will be targeting a third successive Champions League group stage campaign under Brendan Rodgers as they look to make their mark in Europe.

Team News

Olivier Ntcham is a doubt for the AEK Athens game after limping out of Saturday’s 3-1 win over Livingston with an ankle injury.

Moussa Dembele remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Dedryck Boyata has returned to full training after an extended break following the World Cup.

Probable Celtic XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Craig Gordon (GK)

Celtic’s No.1 in goal, Craig Gordon is expected to start against the Greek outfit on Wednesday.

Mikael Lustig (RB)

Back in the squad after an extended break which followed the World Cup, Lustig looked really lively in Saturday’s game against Livingston and should start Wednesday’s game.

Kristoffer Ajer (CB)

Ajer looked composed during the season opener on Saturday and should keep his place when Celtic host AEK Athens on Wednesday night.

Jozo Simunovic (CB)

Jozo Simunovic returns from his two-game suspension and should slot back into the team straight away.

Jonny Hayes (LB)

Back to full fitness after breaking his leg last December, Hayes provided the cross from which Rogic netted the opener against Livingston. After a decent game on Saturday, he should start here.

Scott Brown (CM)

Brown should be deployed in his usual role at the heart of midfield. He will sit in front of the defence and do the dirty work.

Eboue Kouassi (CM)

With Ntcham a doubt for the game, Eboue Kouassi could get a chance to start alongside Brown in the middle of the park. If he gets the chance, the young Ivorian must grab it with both the hands.

Callum McGregor (LW)

Confident and hard-working, McGregor was a top contributor last term. He has started the new campaign well and if continues it, McGregor would be difficult to stop.

Tom Rogic (CAM)

Rogic was excellent against Livingston, opening the scoring and running the show on Saturday. A sure starter on Wednesday.

Scott Sinclair

Scott Sinclair (RW)

Sinclair netted 18 goals in all competitions last season and will be hungry to build on it. With his blistering pace and trickery, the 29-year-old could be a real handful for the AEK Athens defenders.

Read more: Why Celtic re-signing £12m Premier League starlet could turn out to be a masterstroke by Rodgers

Odsonne Edouard (ST)

Edouard found himself on the scoresheet against a Livingston side that was tormented by Rodgers’ men for most of the day. The young striker is expected to lead Celtic’s attack against the Greek opponents.