31st May 2001
Celtic nip in and nick Libbra
Parkhead club set to snatch striker 
(Stuart Crowther)

IN AN ALL TOO FAMILIAR scenario, Celtic have today moved in on Toulouse striker Marc Libbra, and yet another player who has come from nowhere to impress at Easter Road looks set to be pinched by Martin O'Neill.

It is an all too familiar story for Alex McLeish, frustrated in his attempts to build a side with enough quality to compete with the Old Firm only to have the rug pulled from under his feet by the imbalance that is Scottish Football.  And although the Libbra situation is very different from that of Didier Agathe, it will be difficult to explain that difference to frustrated Hibs fans who have once again seen the Easter Road scouting system used more effectively by Celtic than by Hibs.

Should as looks likely Libbra join the Parkhead club it is however a very different situation from Agathe, Hibs having been at fault for not clinching that player on a long-term deal in the first place.  This time Hibs could do little about the situation as Libbra was only on a three-month loan at Easter Road and it is up to his club, Toulouse, to decide on who they wish to deal with.  This afternoon the newly relegated French side confirmed that Hibernian had made an offer, however Celtic had topped that by some way, a firm bid of £1m being lodged with Toulouse today.

Libbra scores for Hibs - next season it will likely be for Celtic (sns)

A spokesman for the French club told Hibs.net this afternoon: "I can confirm that we have a £1m bid from Glasgow Celtic for our player Marc Libbra.  We have heard nothing as yet from Hibernian, although talks are ongoing and we expect to have further news very soon.  Should Hibernian wish to pursue their interest in the player, then they would need to be in touch with us very quickly if they plan to make a counter-offer.  We did have an earlier offer from Hibernian but the price has gone up since then."

While there have been reports that interest has also been shown by Newcastle United, the French club would say only that they had received bids from Hibs and Celtic.  Hibs clearly will not, as the French club seem to expect, enter into any auction for the player as they simply could not afford to do so, and that is sure to disappoint Libbra himself.  Sources close to the French striker told Hibs.net earlier today: "Marc very much enjoyed his three months at Hibernian, and in particular playing alongside such as Franck Sauzee and David Zitelli.  He had hoped that a deal could be done between Hibernian and Toulouse, he would certainly prefer to return to Edinburgh, but it would seem that Toulouse wish only to make a great deal of money and Celtic are offering that."

The only possible hope Hibs would now appear to have is that of Libbra refusing to discuss terms with Celtic, but that is a highly unlikely scenario as the player looks set to be offered terms far in excess of those he might expect at Easter Road.  And with a young family Libbra will have to take account of his own financial future, so it now looks certain he will sign for Celtic.  While Didier Agathe has received some rough treatment from the Easter Road fans since his move along the M8, that is unlikely to be the case with Libbra, fans understanding the different circumstances under which each player has left the club.

For McLeish, who starts his holiday this weekend, the loss of Libbra will be a major blow although it could also leave the door open for Mixu Paatelainen to sign a new deal at the club.