CELTIC'S summer signing target Szabolcs Huszti has signed for Zenit St Petersburg.
Gordon Strachan was desperate to bring the player on board at the end of this season on a Bosman deal.
The Parkhead club thought they were in with a great chance of securing the Hungarian midfielder on a pre-contract agreement this week.
But those plans were wrecked over the weekend when Zenit - managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat - shelled out £2.5million to land him from Hannover.
Advocaat wants him to replaced £15m Arsenal-bound Andrei Arshavin in midfield and is thrilled at landing him.
He said: "I'm delighted to have signed Huszti as I think he can be a top player. I'm surprised to hear Celtic had made him a priority because, to my knowledge, they made no offer.
"If we had not signed him, he would have gone to Hamburg. If this was bad news for Celtic, then I am okay with that."
Celtic are thought to have viewed the midfielder as the perfect replacement for Shunsuke Nakamura should he decide to return to Japan in the summer.
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