Danish international defender Marc Rieper has finally signed for Celtic. After negotiations which have lasted more than six weeks, his previous club West Ham United accepted the inevitable and sold him in a deal which Celtic said was worth #3m. It is thought that the transfer fee involved was around #1.4m.

''We have been pursuing Marc for some time now and have been highly impressed by the reports which we have received,'' Celtic's general manager Jock Brown said yesterday.

''Wim Jansen has been looking for a central defender to add to the squad and Marc was his No.1 choice.

''I am delighted to deliver our seventh signing of the season.''

Twenty-nine-year-old Rieper, who has 48 caps for his country, has signed a four-year contract. Although West Ham did not want to sell him, they decided to accept a transfer fee now, rather than see him leave for nothing when his contract with them expired at the end of this season.

''I have always wanted to play for one of the big names in European football and the opportunity to sign for a club of Celtic's standing fulfils that ambition,'' Rieper said, although he stopped short of saying he had supported them as a boy.

''I am very excited at the prospect of playing in front of home crowds of over 40,000 every other match.

''Very few clubs in Europe can provide that platform, combined with this magnificent stadium.''

It had been reported that Rangers had also made inquiries about Rieper recently, but the player said that neither he nor West Ham had been approached.

Rangers did try to sign the player three years ago, when they bought his Danish international team-mate Brian Laudrup.

At the time Rieper was with Brondby, but Rangers did not pursue their interest.

Nonetheless, advice from Laudrup, and his new colleague at Celtic, Morten Wieghorst did influence Rieper's decision to leave the Premiership for Scotland.

''Brian has told me how happy he is with life in Scotland, and Morten has been very enthusiastic about Celtic,'' he said.

Rieper believes that his new club are not as far behind champions Rangers as many would have you believe.

''I watched all the Old Firm games on television last season, and I have to say that I believe Celtic deserved to win most of them,'' he said. ''That is my honest opinion as a profes- sional.''

''We will do our best to win the title, and with what I think is a very strong squad, we have a fair chance.''

Consistency is one of Rieper's best attributes, and that is clearly one of his aims at Celtic Park. He holds the record for consecutive internationals for his country.

In that time he has come to know a couple of new colleagues at Celtic Park in Henrik Larsson and Reggie Blinker, while he played against Tommy Johnson in the Premiership.

Despite apparently being one of Jansen's first targets, it appeared yesterday that Rieper has not yet met his new coach.

''I remember him as a player with Feyenoord,'' Rieper said. ''I have an idea what the philo-sophy of Dutch football is and when you see how successful they have been you have to admire it, although I think he will adapt it to Scotland.''

''You have to combine styles and take bits and pieces from other countries.''

Whether or not he has met Jansen, Celtic chief executive Fergus McCann apparently has kept an eye on him.

He interupted the press conference announcing the signing to ask if he had played for Denmark in a match against the United States in Arizona five years ago.

''Yes, I did,'' Rieper confirmed.

''In that case, I have seen you play,'' McCann said.

While Rieper joins, someone who has left a more marked impression on McCann was leaving.

Celtic yesterday finalised the sale of Jorge Cadete to Spanish club Celta Vega. Both clubs were waiting for international clearance to conclude the deal, but Cadete hopes to make his debut in the Spanish league tomorrow.

Brown was not willing to disclose any details of what he said was ''a very complicated'' transfer, the fee is thought to be around #2m, depending on how many matches he plays for his new club.