Neil Lennon has confirmed Celtic’s transfer coup over Old Firm rivals Rangers with the signing of Ibrox target Pawel Brozek from Trabzonspor.
Rangers manager Ally McCoist confirmed his interest in the Polish striker over the weekend.
However the Parkhead club have agreed terms with the player and subject to a medical he will sign on loan until the end of the season, with a permanent deal on the table.
The Celtic boss was speaking at Hampden after Anthony Stokes scored twice in the Hoops’ 3-1 Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final win over Falkirk to set up a final meeting with Kilmarnock.
“I know Rangers were interested but we have been involved with players before and Rangers have nipped in,” said Lennon.
“I am not saying we have nipped in but we have been tracking him for quite a while. We have tried to keep it under the radar.
“I have not seen him yet but if he does come in I will be delighted.
“We will see how he is and if he is ready to go he won’t be far away from starting. He scored a lot of goals in Poland and he will give the squad a jag.
“We can’t keep relying on Gary Hooper and Stokesy for the goals.
“If one of them gets injured or suspended we could be a goalscorer short and Pawel is a goalscorer.
“He has gone to Trabzonspor and for one reason or another it has not worked out but what we do know is he is a goalscorer.
“He is a bit like Hooper, he knows where the goal is. We might try to get another player in before the window closes, we are always looking.”
Celtic’s treble hopes remain on course after an entertaining game against Steven Pressley’s First Division side.
Skipper Scott Brown fired the Hoops into the lead from the spot in the 26th minute after Bairns skipper Darren Dods had wrestled with Thomas Rogne at a corner but 17-year-old Falkirk midfielder Jay Fulton dramatically levelled before the break.
Stokes’ free-kick from 25 yards in the 56th minute gave Bairns keeper Michael McGovern no chance and he tapped in from a Hooper pass with five minutes remaining to make sure Celtic return to the national stadium on March 18.
Lennon said: “Falkirk played well in the game but if you look alone at the chances we had, we’ve hit the bar twice, we’ve hit the post and we missed two one-on-ones, Rogne has had a free header from four or five yards out and missed that, so in terms of chances we were well on top.
“I had to rely on my goalkeeper to make a double save at 2-1 but apart from that I thought we controlled the majority of the game.
“I know Steven might have complained about the penalty but Thomas Rogne said Dods had his arms around him but for me we scored a good goal and it was chalked off.
“I think Gary Hooper was onside so I don’t think they could make too many complaints about the referee.”
After remonstrating with referee Euan Norris at the end of the first half about the penalty decision, Pressley found himself watching the second half from the stand.
The former Scotland defender was contrite after the game, saying: “I am not proud of what happened at half-time, far from it.
“I am a passionate manager and passionate about my players but I have to keep my emotions in check at times.
“I was just disappointed with some decisions that had a big impact on the game.
“I’ve not seen it so I’m not going to say it wasn’t a penalty but I just ask you the question: would it have been given in the other box?
“I haven’t seen the free-kick which led to the second goal either but my initial feeling was it was soft.
“But I don’t want that to overshadow our performance.
“I want to read about how well my team played. What a performance. I am exceptionally proud of my players and I don’t think the result was a true reflection of the game.
“On the balance of play I think we merited a result.”


