Vakoun Issouf Bayo will sign a four-year contract with the Glasgow giants, Celtic. The clubs came to an agreement on 8th of January about the transfer of the young forward, who turns 22 on Thursday. Bayo will join his new teammates in training camp held in Dubai, where he will sign his contract after successfully passing the medical tests and obtaining a UK work permit. In line with the agreement between both clubs, the details of the transfer have not been made public.

Bayo came to Dunajská Streda during spring 2018 after being released by the Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel. During the last calendar year, he played 32 games for DAC, scored 22 goals and provided 9 assists (Fortuna Liga 25 matches / 14 goals, Europa League qualifiers 4 matches / 3 goals and Slovnaft Cup 3 matches / 5 goals).

In the current season he is the most successful striker of DAC with 10 goals which ranks him 2nd of the top scorer list of Fortuna League. Bayo has had a great contribution to the current 2nd place of DAC in the league, which is the best result in the club history. During 2018 he also received his first invitation for the adult national team of Ivory Coast and made two appearances for Les Éléphants.

Bayo’s transfer is the biggest in our club history. He is the first player from Dunajská Streda who moves directly to British Isles. His destination is a big club with 130-year-old tradition that played a significant role on the European football scene.

Celtic Glasgow won the European Champion Club’s Cup (the ancestor of Champions League) in 1967 as the first British team and won 49 domestic league titles. They also collected 38 Scottish Cup successes and won 18 times the League Cup. Celtic dominated Scotland in recent years: they won the last seven editions of the league – in the past two seasons they clinched all possible domestic trophies: they triumphed in the league, in the Scottish Cup and also in the League Cup.

With Brandon Rogers in the managerial seat, “The Hoops” lead the Scottish Premiership thanks to better goal difference before their long term city rivals, Rangers. Celtic played however one game less. They were present in the group stage of the Europa League during the autumn in a group along with Salzburg, Leipzig and Rosenborg. They finished second and will face the Spanish side Valencia in spring in an attempt to qualify for the best sixteen of the Europa League.   

“Obviously it’s sad to see one of our best players go. At the same time DAC as a club, including all its supporters who with their support and passion motivates our players constantly, can be proud that a DAC player caught the attention of a big European tradition club. Bayo really deserved this transfer. I wish him all the best and a prosperous career. I thank everyone involved in the transfer for their professional attitude throughout the entire process. We will work hard to strenghen the squad in the upcoming weeks,” said Jan Van Daele, Sporting Director of DAC.