Celtic land Kamara in deadline day swoop

Celtic have signed Senegal striker Diomansy Kamara on loan from Fulham in a move that casts further doubt on the future of the Hoops’ Australian forward Scott McDonald.

As well as bringing in Kamara, Celtic announced on Monday that they had done a permanent deal to bring Motherwell’s teenage winger Paul Slane to Parkhead.

Manager Tony Mowbray was also hoping to tie up a transfer deadline day deal to take Holland international left-back Edson Braafheid on loan from Bayern Munich in order to fill the gap created by Danny Fox’s move to Burnley.

Kamara’s arrival follows last week’s capture of Denmark striker Morten Rasmussen and will inevitably intensify fears among Celtic fans that the club are preparing to cash in on McDonald, despite assurances to the contrary from Mowbray.

The Australian is currently sidelined by a hernia but that has not prevented enquiries about his availability from struggling English Premier League clubs Wigan and West Ham, as well as Championship outfit Middlesbrough, now managed by former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan.

Kamara, 29, has scored three goals this season in 13 appearances for Fulham, five of which came from the bench. He told Celtic’s website that he was looking to make the loan move permanent.

“Celtic is a magnificent football club,” he said. “I will be looking to do my very best to contribute and bring the supporters success and hopefully enjoy a long future with the club.”

The amount of the transfer paid for Slane was not disclosed but, with the player out of contract at the end of the season, Motherwell were not in a strong negotiating position.

Well chairman John Boyle admitted he had been disappointed by Slane’s refusal to sign a long-term contract at the club that fostered his talent.

“Paul has been at the club for six years and we have financed his development and nurtured his talent, culminating in his senior debut at the end of last season,” Boyle said.

“We have also stuck by and supported him over those years through both personal issues and injury and felt we were due some degree of loyalty for our efforts. Sadly, he has chosen to refuse our offers and move on to Celtic.”

Adding to Motherwell’s sense of grievance is the fact that Celtic were made aware of the player’s potential by their youth academy chief Chris McCart, who previously performed the same role at Fir Park.