Celtic’s 12 most expensive transfer sales

Celtic’s dominance in Scotland has continued under Brendan Rodgers, and the Northern Irishman has worked with a number of star players at Parkhead during his two stints as manager who have gone on to bring in huge transfer fees for the Hoops.

But who is the club’s record departure? We’ve taken a look at Celtic’s most expensive sales in their history, as per Transfermarkt, with a detailed look at the top 12.

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

12

Fraser Forster

£10m to Southampton, 2014

Goalkeeper Fraser Forster eventually made his move to Celtic permanent in 2012 after successful loan spells from Newcastle, but he was only a full-time Hoops player for two seasons.

Southampton paid an eye-catching £10m fee for the ‘keeper, who would return on loan to Parkhead in 2019.

11

Josip Juranovic

£10m to Union Berlin, 2023

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

Bundesliga newboys Union Berlin was his destination, with the German outfit paying £10m to bring him in. It proved to be a wise move from Juranovic, with his new side securing an unlikely Champions League slot by finishing fourth at the end of that campaign.

10

Liel Abada

£10m to Charlotte, 2024

Liel Abada had his moments in a Celtic shirt, but injuries and dropping in the pecking order contributed to him securing a move to MLS side Charlotte in March 2024.

The North Carolina-based side paid £10m to lure Abada to the United States, where he has since scored seven MLS goals.

Celtic were also able to more than double their money following his arrival in Glasgow three years prior.

9

Jeremie Frimpong

£11.5m to Bayer Leverkusen, 2021

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

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

Not only did Celtic receive a handsome fee following Frimpong’s departure, but some reports have suggested that a 30% sell-on fee is in his Leverkusen contract should his performances attract another willing suitor.

8

Victor Wanyama

£12.5m to Southampton, 2013

Celtic really found a gem in powerful central midfielder Victor Wanyama, making a huge profit on the fee they paid Beerschot in 2011, with Southampton paying £12.5m to take the Kenyan to the Premier League.

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

7

Virgil van Dijk

£13m to Southampton, 2015

Yet another player to depart 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 in 2013 from FC Groningen, and after winning back-to-back titles in Glasgow, he caught the eye of the Saints, who were managed by fellow Dutchman Ronald Koeman.

The south coast side paid £13m to lure Van Dijk to St Mary’s, before they received a then-world-record fee for a defender when Liverpool came calling in late 2017.

6

Kristoffer Ajer

£13.5m to Brentford, 2021

Signed as a teenager after a trial with Celtic in 2016, Kristoffer Ajer grew 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 £13.5m to bring him to the Gtech Community Stadium, where he remains to this day.

5

Odsonne Edouard

£14m to Crystal Palace, 2021

One of Celtic’s record signings, Odsonne Edouard scored 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 sealing a £14m deal.

4

Moussa Dembele

£19.7m to Lyon, 2018

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

Dembele netted 51 times in 94 Celtic appearances and went on to be successful in a Lyon shirt. The Ligue 1 side paid close to £20m for the striker, with Celtic making a handsome profit in the process having signed him for around £500,000.

He now plays in Saudi Arabia, working under Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.

3

Kieran Tierney

£25m to Arsenal, 2019

Kieran Tierney holds the record as Celtic’s joint-most expensive sale, as well as the outright record for an academy player, with the boyhood Hoops fan bringing in an eye-catching £25m in his move to Arsenal back in 2019.

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

2

Jota

£25m to Al-Ittihad, 2023

After a memorable loan spell from Benfica, Celtic activated their option-to-buy 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 didn’t work out for Jota with Al-Ittihad, signing for Rennes a year later.

1

Matt O’Riley

£25m to Brighton, 2024

Also top of the charts as Celtic’s most expensive sale is midfielder Matt O’Riley, who cost the Hoops a tiny fee in comparison to what they sold him for this past summer.

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