CELTIC have raked in a remarkable £54.8million in just over four years after selling nine players to English clubs.
Stefan Johansen became the latest Hoops ace to take the star trek across the border after the club accepted Fulham’s bid of £2million.
For the initial outlay of £12million, the SPFL champions can show a remarkable profit of £42.8million on the nine performers – an amazing £10.7million-per-year.
Here is the mind-boggling money-spinning list:
KI SUNG-YUENG
The smooth South Korean midfielder arrived in a £2.1million deal from FC Seoul in 2009 and was sold to Swansea for £6million in the summer of 2012. Won all the domestic honours while with the Hoops and picked up a surprise Football League Cup medal with the Welsh outfit in season 2012/13. Had a loan spell at Sunderland before returning to the Liberty Stadium in August 2014.
VICTOR WANYAMA
The powerful Kenyan was another massive favourite with the fans after arriving for a bargain £900,000 from Belgian side Beerschot in 2008. Celtic couldn’t resist when Southampton slapped in a bid of £12million three years ago. The Parkhead side picked up a further £1million as an add-on fee when he joined Spurs for £11.5million this summer.
GARY HOOPER
Scored 82 goals in 138 games after arriving from Scunthorpe for £2.4million in 2010. The Englishman made it clear he wanted to return home and he got his wish when Norwich City paid £5.5million for his services in the summer of 2013. Things didn’t go according to plan at Carrow Road and boss Alex Neill sold him to Sheffield Wednesday in January for £3million after the hitman’s initial three-month loan deal at Hillsborough.
KELVIN WILSON
The centre-half must rate as as one of the Hoops’ best-ever transfer deals. Neil Lennon signed his former Nottingham Forest team-mate on a pre-contract in January 2011 and he arrived at the start of the following season. His family failed to settle in Scotland and he returned to the City Ground in August 2013 with the Glasgow giants picking up a fee of £2.5million. The 30-year-old defender joined Alan Stubbs’ Rotherham United on August 2 after being released by Forest.
JOE LEDLEY
The Welsh international midfielder arrived on a Bosman from Cardiff City in 2010. Celtic cashed in before he came to the end of his contract and sold him to Crystal Palace for £800,000 during the January 2014 transfer window.
FRASER FORSTER
The 6ft 7in goalkeeper – known as ‘The Wall’ to the Barcelona players and support after his displays against them – cost £2million from Newcastle in 2012 after an original two-year loan spell. Earned two England caps while at Parkhead to boost his transfer value. Southampton splashed £10million on the shotstopper two years ago.
ADAM MATTHEWS
The attack-minded full-back agreed a pre-contract offer in February 2011 and arrived from Cardiff City for free in the summer. With the arrival of Saidy Janko from Manchester United last summer, Ronny Deila had a surplus of right-sided defenders with Mikael Lustig and Darnell Fisher also competing for the No.2 shirt. Dick Advocaat’s £2million bid to take him to Sunderland was too good to knock back. Unfortunately, the Welsh international played only two first team games at the Wearside outfit and David Moyes allowed the 24-year-old defender to move on a season-long loan to Bristol City in July. 
VIRGIL VAN DIJK
The cultured Dutch defender, a £2.6million signing from Groningen just over three years ago, joined up with former team-mates Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama at Southampton in a £13million deal in September 2015. Ronald Koeman, now boss at Everton, had his fellow-countryman in his sights since taking over the St Mary’s outfit in the summer of 2014.
STEFAN JOHANSEN
The Norwegian international midfielder arrived on a £2million transfer from Ronny Deila’s former club Stromsgodset in January 2014 and the Hoops recouped that sum when they sold him to Fulham. Brendan Rodgers cashed in with the 25-year-old player prepared to run down his contract which was due to expire next summer.
