Celtic have been handed a boost after their Champions League opponents Helsingborgs IF missed out on the permanent signing of Alfred Finnbogason.

The Icelandic forward had been on loan with the Swedish champions from Belgian side Lokeren, scoring 12 goals in 17 appearances since arriving in March.

Having scored in their third qualifying round tie with Slask Wroclaw, and adding a further two to his tally in the 7-2 Allsvenskan win over Kalmar at the weekend, Finnbogason agreed a three year deal to make the switch, pending a fee being agreed with his parent club.

On Thursday night, Dutch side Heerenveen announced they instead had completed the signing of the former Breidablik player, signing him on a three year contract.

Helsingborg have threatened legal action against Lokeren, insisting they have a written agreement from their counterparts for the deal to be concluded.

Finnbogason tweeted on Thursday: “Hard to say goodbye to Helsingborgs IF, it will always have a place in my heart. But delighted to be a Heerenveen player now.”

Helsingborg can still register a replacement up until 11pm on Monday night, with reports in Sweden linking them with former Feyenoord striker Kermit Erasmus, who is currently back in his homeland with South African side Supersport United.