Jeremie Frimpong has completed his move from Celtic FC to German giants Bayer Leverkusen.
The young right-back has sealed the lucrative transfer just days before Monday’s deadline day – with the fee believed to be worth a whopping £11.5million.
The Ghanaian-born Dutch international, 20, has penned a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit that runs until summer 2025.
Speaking about his move to Germany, he told Leverkusen’s official website: “It’s a great opportunity to play in one of the best European leagues.
“I’m really excited about the Bundesliga and, of course especially about this club.
“Bayer 04 Leverkusen recently played regularly in the Champions League and the Europa League.
“They showed how ambitious they are internationally, not least in the two games against Glasgow Rangers last year.
“I really like the offensive, fast and technical way of playing at Bayer 04 and I hope that I can help the team soon.”
The attacking full-back – who will wear the No 30 shirt for his new club – only joined the Hoops 18-months ago from Manchester City.
They secured his services in a deal believed to be £350K, so the Parkhead side have made a HUGE profit on the fans’ favourite.
But Neil Lennon revealed on Tuesday that Frimpong wanted away from Glasgow’s east end – and the transfer has now gone through.
Lennon and Parkhead chiefs felt they had no choice but to sell the Dutch starlet after months of pushing for a move.
Italian giants Roma had also been consistently linked with the 20-year-old full-back, while it’s believed Southampton had been tracking him too.
But Bayer’s remarkable bid was just too good for the crisis-hit Hoops to knock back ahead of the transfer window slamming shut on Monday.
A Celtic statement on Twitter confirming his move read:
Jeremie Frimpong has joined @bayer04_en on a permanent basis.
We would like to thank @JeremieFrimpong for his contribution to the Club and wish him all the best for his future career. 🍀 pic.twitter.com/mVUEo1vHiM
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 27, 2021
The Hoops will bank an initial hefty seven-figure sum with the balance based on games played.
Frimpong played an impressive 51 games for the Hoops, with the rookie defender scoring three goals along the way.
He quickly established his potential to back up shrewd City’s 30-per-cent sell-on clause which is set to pay big dividends.
Treble-winner Frimpong still had two years of his Celts contract left but had resisted all attempts to extend it – and was adamant about leaving when there was a chance.
Lennon – now aiming for a replacement plus a centre-half over the next few days – revealed he felt ‘let down’ by Frimpong’s desire to go.
©Scottish Sun
