Christopher Jullien: Defender joins Celtic from Toulouse
- Published
Christopher Jullien made more than 100 appearances for Toulouse
Celtic have signed French centre-back Christopher Jullien from Toulouse for a reported fee of around £7m.
The 26-year-old has agreed a four-year deal to become the Scottish champions' first summer recruit and second most expensive signing.
Jullien made 108 appearances, scoring eight goals, for Ligue 1 side Toulouse.
"We are delighted to bring Christopher to Celtic," said manager Neil Lennon. "He is a quality player with great attributes."
Jullien, who started his career at Auxerre, joined Toulouse from German club Freiburg in 2016 after a season on loan at Dijon.
He is Celtic's second costliest signing behind £9m compatriot Odsonne Edouard who made his loan move from PSG permanent last summer.
'Tall, a goal threat, but weak on the turn' - analysis
France-based football reporter Matt Spiro
Jullien is a strong, steady centre-half who has performed consistently well over the past three seasons in Ligue 1. His great strength is his aerial ability. At 6ft 5in, he is a towering presence, but is also excellent at timing his runs in to the opposition box at set pieces. He also reads the game pretty well.
His weakness would be his speed on the turn. This was exposed more last season following the departure of his partner and former club captain Issa Diop to West Ham, with Jullien caught out for several goals in the first part of last season. Although his form improved through the campaign, it was not his best season for Toulouse.
He already speaks excellent English, thanks to his partner, and is determined to play in the UK and succeed there.
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