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Efrain Juarez moves to Celtic in £4m deal

Celtic have completed the signing of Efrain Juarez, the Mexico internationalist, from UNAM Pumas, subject to a medical and work permit.

The full-back, who can also play in midfield, has signed a four-year deal for a fee believed to be in the region of £4m and becomes Neil Lennon’s fourth summer signing after Charlie Mulgrew, Cha Du-Ri and Joe Ledley. Reports in Mexico claimed that Celtic were rejected in their initial attempt to sign Juarez on loan with the option to buy but a deal has finally been concluded.

The Mexican is the latest piece in the jigsaw as manager Neil Lennon continues his refurbishment at Parkhead and that spending shows no sign of abating with the Celtic manager’s turnover of players likely to generate as much as £14m to invest in the side.

Stephen McManus, the club captain, completed his move to Middlesbrough yesterday and Artur Boruc edged closer to a £2m switch to Fiorentina, deals which are set to reduce the club’s weekly wage bill by around £200,000, when added to the departures of Robbie Keane, Edson Braafheid, Lee Naylor, Diomansy Kamara, Landry N’Guemo, Zheng Zhi and Koki Mizuno.