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Controversial Celtic signing confirmed: 'Dream' move sparks outrage
Tom Weber
- Updated: 9 Jan 2026 16:47 GMT
- 7 min read
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Jocelin Ta Bi has confirmed that he is set to join Celtic, but his move from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya is not without controversy.
The 20-year-old has been a breakout star for loan club Hapoel Petah Tikva this season, providing a pair of goals and assists each in 12 appearances. Ta Bi will, however, have his loan cut short as Celtic have reportedly agreed a deal in the region of €2.3 million to sign him.
The Daily Record reports that the Ivorian youngster is en route to Glasgow to become Martin O'Neill's first signing since returning to the club for the second time this season and third overall.
Celtic's first arrival of January was Julian Araujo, who joined on loan from Bournemouth shortly before doomed manager Wilfried Nancy was sacked. Ta Bi has confirmed that joining Celtic is a "dream come true."
"Playing for a club like Celtic is a dream come true for me. But without the support and love I received in Israel, I would not have reached these levels. The decision to come here and the trust I received from the club and my friends led me to progress.
"I will not forget the period I have had on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva and the love and warmth that surrounded me. I am going to fulfil a big dream, at a famous club and in one of the best stadiums in the world."
Rights group protests Ta Bi signing
The Palestinian cause enjoys widespread support in the Celtic fanbase, so it is no surprise that Ta Bi's proposed move to Parkhead has caused a major stir. His statement thanking Israel has done little to defuse the situation.
On Thursday, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, a part of the larger Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement, wrote a letter directly to Celtic, requesting that the transfer of Ta Bi be abandoned.
"This is not just an ordinary football transfer deal," the statement read. "Israeli clubs are not neutral sporting bodies. Maccabi Netanya is owned by Aliya Capital Partners, which has invested $30 million in Israeli drone company XTEND.
"Since the start of Israel’s ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, XTEND has sold thousands of drones, including armed drones, to the Israeli military. The CEO of Aliya Capital Partners is the chair of Maccabi Netanya and sits on the board of XTEND.
"Celtic fans have long been a source of inspiration for Palestinians through their unwavering support for our liberation struggle. The Green Brigade’s tifos calling to end Israel’s Gaza genocide and to expel Israel from world football have been echoed in stadiums around the world.
"Celtic fans also established and fund a football and sports club aptly named Lajee Celtic based in the Aida Refugee Camp in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. This is the same refugee camp where apartheid Israel just issued demolition orders for a youth football pitch.
"While Celtic supporters consistently place themselves on the right side of history, the club’s administration too often stands in opposition to them.
"Celtic Football Club should refuse to do business with a team representing apartheid Israel - a regime committing genocide in Gaza, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, including more than 800 sportspeople, and systematically damaging or destroying all sporting infrastructure.
"A club born out of the suffering of British colonial famine should never align itself with a regime that is deliberately using starvation as a weapon.
"Celtic has a choice in how it spends its supporters’ money. Funding those complicit in the genocide of Palestinians shouldn’t be on the table. Stop the deal."
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