Celtic’s 12 most expensive transfers

CelticHis dominance in Scotland continued under Brendan Rodgersand the Northern Irishman worked with a number of stars at Parkhead during his two spells as manager who brought huge signings to the Hoops.

But who is the record holder in the departure of the club? We take a look at Celtic’s most expensive sales in their history, according to Transfermarktwith a detailed review of the first 12.

Here’s a detailed look at Celtic’s 12 biggest sales…

12

Fraser Forster

£10m for Southampton, 2014

Goalkeeper Fraser Forster finally made a permanent move to Celtic in 2012 after successful loan spells from Newcastle, but was a regular at the Hoops for just two seasons.

Southampton paid an attractive £10 million for the goalkeeper, who would return on loan to Parkhead in 2019.

11

Josip Juranović

£10m for Union Berlin, 2023

Croatia international Josip Juranovic has swapped Parkhead for the 2023 German Bundesliga side, with the defender securing a post-World Cup move after helping his country finish third in Qatar.

Union Berlin, newly minted in the Bundesliga, was his destination, with the German team pay 10 million pounds to bring him. It proved to be a wise move by Juranović, as his new side secured an incredible place in the Champions League by finishing fourth at the end of that campaign.

10

Liel Abada

£10m for Charlotte, 2024

Liel Abada had his moments at Celtic, but injuries and a drop in the pecking order helped him secure a move to MLS Charlotte in March 2024.

A party based in North Carolina paid £10 million to lure Abada to the United Stateswhere he has since scored seven MLS goals.

Celtic also managed to more than double their money following his arrival in Glasgow three years earlier.

9

Jeremie Frimpong

£11.5m for Bayer Leverkusen, 2021

Jeremie Frimpong has had one of the more impressive post-Celtic careers, as his £11.5m move to Bayer Leverkusen certainly worked out well for the Dutchman.

Frimpong was a key part of the Leverkusen side that went unbeaten in their double-winning season in 2023/24, as well as reaching the Europa League final, in what proved to be their only defeat of the campaign.

Not only did Celtic receive a hefty fee following Frimpong’s departure, but some reports suggested that 30% sales fee is in his contract with Leverkusen if his performances attract another willing suitor.

8

Victor Wanyama

£12.5m to Southampton, 2013

Celtic have indeed found a gem in powerful central midfielder Victor Wanyama, turning a huge profit on the fee they paid Beerschot in 2011, with Southampton pay 12.5 million pounds take the Kenyan to the Premier League.

Wanyama made more than 90 appearances for Celtic in his two-year stay, playing in the Champions League before moving to the south coast.

7

Virgil van Dijk

£13m for Southampton, 2015

Another player who left for Southampton in the top 10 list is Virgil van Dijk, who is now regarded as one of the best centre-backs of the modern era.

The Hoops signed Van Dijk from FC Groningen in 2013, and after back-to-back titles in Glasgow, he caught the eye of the Saints, who were managed by fellow Dutchman Ronald Koeman.

South coast side paid £13m to lure Van Dijk to St Mary’sbefore receiving a then world record fee for a defender when Liverpool called them up in late 2017.

6

Kristoffer Ajer

£13.5m for Brentford, 2021

Signed as a teenager after a trial with Celtic in 2016, Kristoffer Ajer has blossomed into one of the best defenders in the Scottish Premiership.

The Norway international won three trebles in a row with Celtic between 2018 and 2020 before leaving the club in 2021 for London and Brentford. The bees spent an initial £13.5 million bring it to the Gtech Community Stadium, where it remains to this day.

5

Odsonne Edouard

£14m for Crystal Palace, 2021

One of Celtic’s record signings, Odsonne Edouard was scoring goals for fun at Parkhead after joining permanently from PSG.

In total, Edouard scored 87 goals in 179 games for the Hoops and was too good for the division when he left for Crystal Palace on deadline day in the summer of 2021. with the Eagles agreeing a £14m deal.

4

Moussa Dembele

£19.7m to Lyon, 2018

Another free-scoring French striker who earned a lot of money was Moussa Dembele, who left three years before Edouard in 2018.

Dembele scored 51 times in 94 appearances for Celtic and was successful for Lyon. Ligue 1 side paid close to £20 million for the strikerand Celtic made a hefty profit in the process by signing him for around £500,000.

He now plays in Saudi Arabia, under Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.

3

Kieran Tierney

£25m for Arsenal, 2019

Kieran Tierney holds the record as Celtic’s joint-highest sale, as well as the outright record for an academy player, with a childhood Hoops supporter an attractive £25m in his move to Arsenal in 2019.

The left-back has fallen out of favor at the Emirates in recent years and has been linked with a return to Celtic Park, so could we see Tierney back in green and white any time soon?

2

Iota

£25m for Al-Ittihad, 2023

After a memorable loan spell from Benfica, Celtic activated the buyout clause to sign Jota in 2022.

However, after another impressive campaign at Parkhead, the Portuguese winger attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, with Al-Ittihad making him their club record signing for £25m. Things did not work out for Jota with Al-Ittihad, a year later he signed for Rennes.

1

Matt O’Riley

£25m for Brighton, 2024

Also topping the charts as Celtic’s most expensive sale is midfielder Matt O’Riley, who cost the Hoops a pittance compared to what they sold him for last summer.

Signed by MK Dons, O’Riley played at Celtic Park and won his first caps for Denmark as a result, with Brighton spend £25m on his signature in 2024