Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action this weekend as they prepare to host Aberdeen, who are level on points with them, at Parkhead on Saturday.
Both teams have won all seven of their matches in the division thus far and that record will have to change for at least one of them this weekend.
They have had two weeks to prepare for this game, due to the October international break, and it currently appears as though the Hoops have not been dealt any injury blows to the players who have been away with their nations.
One player who Celtic will hope to have available is right-back Alistair Johnston, who has enjoyed a particularly impressive start to the Premiership campaign.
The Canada international has produced two goals and two assists, along with four ‘big chances’ created, in seven starts, whilst also helping his side to keep six clean sheets in that time.
Johnston has showcased his attacking quality, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, and has been solid defensively to maintain such an excellent defensive record.
Celtic have been blessed with superb right-backs over the years and one of the most recent ones was Dutch full-back Jeremie Frimpong, who the Hoops played a blinder with.
How much Celtic paid for Jeremie Frimpong
In the summer of 2019, the Scottish giants swooped to sign the teenage talent from Premier League giants Manchester City for a reported fee of £300k.
The young defender had not made a single first-team appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side and had scored two goals and provided two assists in 21 games for their U21s side, which is why the Hoops were able to land him for just £300k.
Frimpong went on to play 14 matches in the Scottish Premiership during his debut campaign with the Bhoys, and contributed with two goals and three assists.
The teenage whiz only made one appearance in the Europa League for the Hoops that term, though, and it was only the first step in his senior career, which meant that Celtic did not see his full potential that season.
In the first half of the following campaign, Frimpong, who was once hailed as a “cheat code” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, emerged as the first-choice right-back for Neil Lennon and racked up one goal and two assists in 22 outings in the Premiership.
He also produced two assists in five Europa League group stage matches, as the Dutch gem showcased his ability to make an impact on the European stage.
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His form for Celtic in the first five months of that season attracted interest from across Europe and the Scottish side eventually opted to cash in on him in January 2021.
How much Celtic sold Jeremie Frimpong for
German outfit Bayer Leverkusen swooped in to secure his services from the Hoops for a reported fee of £11.5m ahead of the second half of the 2020/21 campaign.
It was reported that the deal came after months of the player pushing for a move away from Parkhead, as he finally sealed a move to one of the major European leagues.
Things have worked out pretty well for Frimpong since he made the move to Germany, as he has thrived on the pitch and won big trophies with Leverkusen.
The 23-year-old star has won the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal with the German side, whilst also earning a runners-up medal in the Europa League last season.
To date, the Netherlands international has racked up 26 goals and 37 assists in 152 matches in all competitions since he decided to make the move away from Glasgow, which shows that he has provided a strong threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a right wing-back position for Xabi Alonso.
Appearances
31
Goals
9
Big chances created
9
Assists
7
Key passes per game
1.5
As you can see in the table above, Frimpong made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch to help Leverkusen win the Bundesliga last term, with 16 direct goal contributions on the right flank.
This shows that Celtic did not see the best version of the Dutch full-back, as he did not reach that level of production in the final third during his time in Scotland. The Hoops may, however, still benefit from his impressive form for the German side.
Jeremie Frimpong's current market value
The Athletic recently reported that Frimpong is attracting interest from European giants Real Madrid, who are looking for a long-term successor to Dani Carvajal.
It was claimed that the young whiz is attracted to the idea of playing in Spain for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the LaLiga champions will decide to act upon their interest in him.
The outlet added that the defender has a release clause of €40m (£33m) – roughly £22m more than the fee he was sold for in 2021 – in his current contract with Leverkusen, which would allow any club to forgo negotiations with the Bundesliga giants.
Celtic reportedly hold a 15% sell-on clause as part of their deal to sell Frimpong back in 2021. This means that they are due 15% of any profit that the German team make on the former Manchester City man.
That would net the Scottish giants a fee of around £3.3m if a team comes in to sign the defender for around £33.4m, as that would result in roughly £22m in profit for Leverkusen.
Therefore, Celtic will be pleased to see how well he is doing in Germany and will surely be crossing their fingers and hoping that Real Madrid, or another club, come in to sign him in January or next summer, as it could add a few million more to Brendan Rodgers’ transfer budget at Parkhead.
Celtic have struck gold with Hoops ace who's similar to a £105m star
The Hoops maestro did not cost a penny when he joined the club.
ByDan Emery
Overall, the Hoops played a blinder with Frimpong because they made a gigantic profit on the Dutchman after only 18 months in Glasgow and secured a sell-on clause as part of their agreement with Leverkusen, which could now net them millions more.
