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FOOTBALLCELTIC MISS OUT ON ANTUNES
Vitorino Gabriel Antunes: On way to Lecce Saturday July 19,2008 By Gary KeownCELTIC have lost out to Serie A newcomers Lecce in the race for Portuguese leftback Vitorino Gabriel Antunes and were last night battling to salvage their move for Auxerre’s Gabriel Tamas. Express Sport revealed on Wednesday that Lecce had opened transfer talks with Antunes’ current employers Roma and they have now tied him up on a oneyear loan deal. The news will come as a bitter disappointment to Hoops manager Gordon Strachan, who saw the 21yearold as a bright prospect capable of making a big impression at Parkhead. Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell is also locked in talks with Romanian defender Tamas after failing to strike an agreement over wages at a meeting in Paris. Auxerre are happy to do a £3.5million deal for Tamas, but the 24yearold is understood to have turned down a pay deal of £14,000aweek with bonuses during the course of the summit he held with Lawwell on Thursday. Lawwell has returned to Glasgow, but Celts are still working on the transfer as Strachan is a big admirer of the player. They do have fall-back options, though, in the shape of Le Mans’ Serbian defender Marko Basa, Martin Stranzl of Spartak Moscow and Dorin Goian of Steaua Bucharest. Goian is currently with Steaua Bucharest and saw a £4million move to Sunderland fall apart earlier in the summer. Lecce sports director Guido Angelozzi has confirmed, meanwhile, that his club’s deal for Antunes is done and dusted.
Spaniards Racing Santander had been jousting with Celts to land the Portugal Under21 starlet, but Roma wanted him to remain in Italian football. Angelozzi confirmed: “The deal has been made and the negotiations can now be considered closed.” Newlypromoted Lecce also posted an official statement on the club website late last night. A spokesman said: “Antunes arrives in a loan deal and will begin working with his new colleagues on July 20.” Strachan still has Hamburg’s £2millionrated fullback Timothee Atouba on his hitlist, but the Cameroon internationalist’s £30,000aweek wage demands would have to drop for a deal to be done. Celtic are also weighing up a deal for 17-year-old Italian keeper Daniele Giordano. The Lecce teenager has been training at Lennoxtown and made his debut in Thursday night’s 4-1 friendly win over Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill.
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