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Shaun Maloney is expected to become a Celtic player for a second time over the next 48 hours, 18 months after he left to join Martin O’Neill and Aston Villa. Maloney, Celtic and Villa were trying to reach agreement on a deal last night that could even pitch the 25-year-old straight into the Celtic squad for tomorrow’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League match against Falkirk at Celtic Park.

Maloney has been unsettled for some time at Villa Park and had a dispute with O’Neill after a game at Old Trafford last season that left him more or less frozen out of his manager’s plans. Off the field, however, the Scotland international has also had problems settling in the Birmingham area.

John Halliwell, Maloney’s agent, claimed last week that three clubs were chasing the player’s signature, though a return to Celtic has always been Maloney’s first choice. He made his Celtic debut in April 2001 under O’Neill and left for a £1 million fee after failing to agree new terms in January 2007.

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Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, has always insisted that he did not want Maloney to leave in the first place and is believed to be keen to have him back. A fee of £1.75 million is believed to be Villa’s asking price. If terms can be agreed, the player will almost certainly have to take a drop in wages in making his return, though Maloney’s salary will still represent a marked increase on what he was originally earning at Celtic.

After the arrivals of Georgios Samaras, Pat McCourt, Marc Crosas and Glenn Loovens, Maloney would represent Celtic’s fifth summer signing, in the wake of a period when both the club and Strachan have been criticised in some quarters for failing to keep pace with Rangers’ spending spree.

Paul Hartley, the Celtic midfield player, certainly believes that Maloney would add strength in depth to the squad, and rejected the old canard about players being cautioned against returning to their former clubs.

“It doesn’t always happen that way with players and I’m sure if Shaun signs, he will relish the chance to return,” Hartley said. “It’s a good move for him and a good move for the club. I played with Shaun at international level and I know what he can bring to the team. We have five or six Scottish internationals in the Celtic team already, so he will be another good addition. I’m sure, if he signs, he will relish it. We are always looking to improve and he is another good player.

“We have a good squad as it is now and we know Shaun can play in a number of positions. He had a good spell at Celtic the first time, so I’m sure he will do well again.”

Meanwhile, across Glasgow, Steven Davis concluded his long-awaited return to Rangers by signing a four-year deal after the Ibrox club and Fulham agreed a £3 million-plus deal. The signing took Walter Smith’s summer spending to almost £16 million in his efforts to revive Rangers.

Smith had been chasing Davis since his loan period came to a close in May, though the player and Fulham had some financial details to iron out between them. The Northern Ireland international originally signed for the London club from Aston Villa for £4 million in June 2007.

It follows a frantic seven-day period at Ibrox in which Davis can now be added to the arrivals of Aaron Niguez Esclapez, Pedro Mendes and Maurice Edu.

Davis did not feature in Fulham’s opening Barclays Premier League game away to Hull City last weekend, and his former manager, Roy Hodgson, yesterday explained his decision to sell.

Hodgson admitted that he was sorry to see the midfield player go but insisted that he could not offer the first-team football that would justify keeping Davis at Craven Cottage.

”It was the right move for Steven,” Hodgson said. “He went to Rangers on loan last season and did extremely well. He became a real crowd favourite and it was going to be harsh for him to come back here and not be a certain regular.

“I like Davis as a person and a player, but the offer we received from Rangers was a good and correct one that reflected his value. Sometimes, you also need to take into account the interests of the player.

“If I’d been able to guarantee him half the first-team games at Fulham, I’d have been tempted to persuade him to stay. But I couldn’t be sure of doing that and I didn’t want to ruin his chances of joining a great club where he’s already made a name for himself.”

Last night, Davis’s Northern Ireland teammate, David Healy, tipped the midfield player to be a success all over again at Ibrox.

“It’s a great boost for him – he went to Rangers last year and I know he did terrifically well. Rangers think a lot of him – they wouldn’t be spending the money they are on a player whom they don’t think is going to improve them.

“He is a quality player, his energy levels are there, his fitness is there, as well as his desire to get in the box.

“Rangers are not only getting a good signing, that’s for sure, but someone who is going to keep on improving.”