Celtic full-back Jeremie Frimpong looks set to leave Parkhead this month, but it’s the reported fee which Rangers must take heed of.
Frimpong is a good little player undoubtedly, but a raw talent with woefully inconsistent delivery and end product, with whom Celtic hopes were largely pinned on for much of the early season.
When Bayer Leverkusen came a-calling, it’s no surprise the Dutch wing-back, 20, has opted to jump ship, but with reports of an eventual £11.5m transfer fee in the press it’s not exactly bad business [Daily Record].
Celtic only signed the player last season – for a reported £350k from Manchester City – with the Premier League club said to hold a 30% sell-on clause [MEN].
But whatever the case, this is an exorbitant amount of money for a player who – like most of the Celtic squad – have woefully underperformed this season.
Even in the last campaign, it was evident that Rangers have the two best wing-backs in the division in James Tavernier, 29, and Borna Barisic, 28.
It’s also not been confirmed what the eventual transfer fee will be but with these figures being bandied about it won’t be far off, even if they may be being embellished a little.
Whilst Frimpong might be years their junior and thus have a higher potential sell-on fee, it simply cannot be argued that the Yorkshireman and the Croatian are more effective players.
The stats speak for themselves and any talk of winners and champions will be extinguished when the Gers lift 55 – hopefully at Parkhead on March 20th.
Perhaps Rangers want to keep both players around but the Ibrox side must take stock of this when negotiating over a price for either of their flying full-backs.
Because if Frimpong is worth north of £10m, then even with the age difference, both these Ibrox stars are pushing beyond even that.
Speaking of young talents, the Gers have also reportedly been put on alert by the situation involving one young Premier League star who’s undergone a change of management.
