Racing Genk have taking up their option to buy Celtic midfielder Eboue Kouassi, according to Het Balang van Limburg.

The Belgian newspaper reports the Ivorian is now a Genk player after signing a four-year contract with the Jupiler Pro League side.

Kouassi moved to Belgium on an initial six-month loan deal back in January but he has impressed enough for them to trigger their €1.5m (£1.3m) purchase clause.

The Hoops have still taken a hit on the £3m they paid Krasnodar for the 22-year-old in January 2017 but, considering his lack of game time following his move to Scotland, they will be happy to receive a significant sum to get him off their books.

Kouassi only made 22 appearances during his three and a half years at Celtic Park, with a cruciate ligament injury during the 2018/19 campaign having also seriously hindered his progress with the Scottish champions. He will be hoping for a fresh start in Belgium.