Scottish champions Celtic have confirmed the signing of Manchester City centre-back, Dedryck Boyata, on a four-year contract deal, worth a transfer fee of £1.5million pounds. 

The Belgian 24-year-old was previously down in the pecking order at the club, having made 35 appearances in six years with the Citzens, before he became nothing more than a bit-part player, in all honesty. He initially joined the youth ranks in 2006, joined the first-team in 2009 and after a positive first campaign, he was loaned out. Things seemed to go on a downward spiral from then on, as the defender struggled to assert his regular first-team credentials, going on loan to both Bolton Wanderers and FC Twente.

As a result, he's moved on in search of regular first-team football, which he is likely to get with the Scottish side as he aims to assert himself as a defender whose potential is yet to be really challenged of late, at least. Jason Denayer, aged 19, has enjoyed a positive loan spell at Celtic over the past twelve months, having been sent out to gain experience by City, who are eager to develop young defensive talents, more than anything with Vincent Kompany's inconsistent form and Martin Demichelis ageing in the Sky Blues' backline. 

Boyata had this to say: "It feels really good - Celtic are a very big club and it feels good to be part of it. The manager came to see me in Manchester and I spoke to him about having me here and all the ideas he had for me playing for the team. So I was very pleased with his plans and from that point I thought that moving to Glasgow would be a good idea and we tried to do everything right for me to move here. I knew Jason when he came through the reserve at City, he is someone that I follow and I think he had a really good season last year.

Hopefully I am going to do the same thing, and have a similiar season. I am really pleased to have a new challenge with a massive club. It was a big opportunity and I am really delighted. The reason I joined Celtic is they have a good plan for me. The manager [Ronny Deila] told me he needed a centre-back to replace Jason, who could play football, bring the ball from the back and win headers. Celtic are getting a strong defender who is quick and who has ability on the ball."