Edouard pushed out Celtic transfer record

Celtic have activated a clause in their loan deal for Odsonne Edouard (20) with Paris Saint-Germain to sign the player on a four-year permanent contract.  The deal will cost the club an initial £4.5m but the add-ons which follow will soon make the deal the club’s highest transfer fee paid.

To give some perspective, Celtic last broke their transfer fee record with the £6m purchase of Neil Lennon in 2000.

Watching Odsonne develop during his loan period has been an education.  Brendan Rodgers put Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths on the bench to allow Odsonne the game time he needed to grow.  His early-season rustiness was history by March, when he came off the bench when Celtic were down to 10 men at Ibrox, brushed aside what defences there was, to score a memorable winner.

The last player to match our record transfer fee was John Hartson in 2001.  Like John then, Odsonne is third choice striker, so the work does not stop here.

Great business, well done all concerned.