Liverpool “Gazumped” Celtic to Sign Ben Davies

Liverpool will officially complete the signing Preston North End centre half Ben Davies shortly. A fee that could rise to £2M with add-ons has been agreed and the he player is currently undergoing his medical.

And if there was any doubt left about where the player is ending up today, Celtic manager Neil Lennon put an end to it when he admitted the Scottish club—former favourites to sign the player—had been bested by the Reds.

“It’s a blow,” Lennon admitted today when he was asked by the press about missing out on the signing of Davies. “We were very close to doing that and obviously we got gazumped at the last minute by Liverpool.”

Davies will be the first centre half to join Liverpool today but isn’t expected to be the last, with the club working to bring in Ozan Kabak from Schalke on an initial six-month loan with a purchase option at the end of it.

If that deal falls through for any reason, the club are also reported to have alternatives, with two defensive signings before the transfer window slams shut a top priority.