Nakamura Agrees Two-Year Deal With Espanyol

Another Friendly Set Up With Manchester City

Assuming that he passes a medical exam, former Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura will be joining the Spanish Premier League's Espanyol on a two-year contract.

The 31-year-old, whose contract with Celtic had expired at the end of June, decided against returning to Japan to play with his old club Yokohama F Marinos and will be unveiled as a member of Espanyol's squad on July 10.

Nakamura, who was PFA Scotland's Player of the Year in 2007, helped the Bhoys to three consecutive League titles, a Scottish Cup win and two League Cups.

Celtic could still be in with a chance to sign AS Nancy's Marc-Antoine Fortune after Hull City's manager Phil Brown confirmed that his club has not yet been able to agree terms with the 27-year-old striker.

Celtic coach Peter Grant, confirmed that the club was still interested in the player saying that: "Marco is a quality player and we were very impressed by just how well he did for us last season.

"People say he didn't have a fantastic scoring record. But look at the goals from midfield after he came in.

"The goals the other boys scored because of the way he played was phenomenal.

"Marco had a great ethic about him in his training as well as his playing. He was a privilege to work with," he concluded.

Celtic will meet one of the Premiership's star-studded sides when they travel down to the City of Manchester Stadium on August 8 for the latest pre-season friendly.

With a list of multi-million pound transfer targets being mooted to join the likes of Robinho, former Celt Craig Bellamy, Shay Given, Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry at Manchester City, the friendly promises to be a tantalising prospect as well as a stern test for Mowbray's Bhoys.

The game will come hot on the heels of Celtic's pre-season trip to Australia, their July 22 encounter with Cardiff City, their games in the Wembley Cup and the first home game of the new season against Sunderland on August 1.

According to a statement on Celtic's website: "The run of matches will make for a busy and challenging start to the campaign, while drawing in the club's army of supporters from every corner of the globe."

This is also the second consecutive year that the club has faced City in a pre-season friendly, with the Blues visiting Celtic Park last August and being held to a 1-1 draw by a youthful Celtic side.