Ismaila Soro: Celtic complete signing of Ivorian midfielder
- Published
Ismaila Soro (right) trained with Celtic on Tuesday at Lennoxtown
New Celtic signing Ismaila Soro says he models himself on Chelsea's N'Golo Kante after signing from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The Ivorian midfielder, 21, passed a medical last week and arrived in Glasgow on Monday to complete terms.
He becomes Celtic's second signing of the January transfer window after Poland Under-21 striker Patryk Klimala.
"I see Scottish football as hard and tough and I like that," Soro said.
"The tougher it gets, the better I get, the more I put in. The Scottish game is perfect for me because the more aggressive you are, the more the opposition is aggressive, and that makes the game even harder for everybody."
Soro said Belgian top-flight side Genk and French Ligue 1 club Dijon also wanted to sign him, but after Celtic showed interest "there was only one club I was going to join."
The Ivorian joined Bnei Yehuda from Gomel in Belarus in 2018, helping them finish fifth in last season's Israeli Premier League.
Manager Neil Lennon says Soro "stood out" in the Israeli top flight and backed the midfielder to make an impact at Celtic this season.
"If you're looking for someone I model myself on, or who I really like as a player, then it's N'Golo Kante," Soro added.
"I watch nearly all of his games and he's a top player in that position. His level is really something I want to achieve, if I can."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.