Jeremie Frimpong is the perfect example of Celtic's player trading model of buy low, develop, then sell high and Neil Lennon hopes he gets his much touted big move this summer.
The Leverkusen right back is wanted with Manchester United and Arsenal fighting it out for his signature. The Bundesliga outfit have slapped a £35million price tag on 22-year-old's head, which could net the Hoops a windfall of £10m if a deal goes through, thanks to a sell-on clause inserted in the agreement that took him from Glasgow to Germany for £11m back in 2021.
Not a bad return for an initial £300,000 outlay on a Manchester City academy player. It's the exact model that the Premiership champions try and replicate with the majority of their transfers, ensuring not only a healthy profit at point of sale, but banking more cash further down the line if the big guns come calling with the really big money.
Speaking to www.bettingsites.co.uk Lennon said of Frimpong: "He was brilliant for me. I saw him playing for Man City’s 21s at Lennoxtown and I really liked the look of him. It was great to see him in the flesh and it’s so much better than looking at WyScout and watching videos. He came in and he just blew us all away with his pace and his quality – and his enthusiasm. He’s got a very infectious personality. He’s a lovely boy but he could be quite naughty at times too. He took the plunge to go to Germany and he has excelled and I’m really proud of him.
"He’s deceptive. He’s small but he’s so powerful, good on the ball and quite different from a lot of fullbacks out there. I follow his career and I hope he gets the move that he wants now. It will mean more money for Celtic – and that’s the model: find a young player who can enhance the team and then sell him on for a profit.
“We got a bit lucky with him and got him for about £300,000 because he was a wee bit under the radar but it worked out very well for Celtic. We had a few of these with Fraser Forster, Victor Wanyama and Virgil van Dyk and I always follow guys like that – but not just the Celtic lads, Hibs boys too like John McGinn and Ryan Porteous who have obviously gone on to do very well.”
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