Jeremie Frimpong’s supposed move back to English football has been talked about for most of the years since he left Celtic as a 20-year-old in 2021. Now it looks like Liverpool are set to pay his release clause at Bayer Leverkusen to secure a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Celtic sold for £11m, which felt like an incredible fee for a player with lots of skill but even more still to develop. Leverkusen recognised his potential (more than I did) and were the perfect club for him to flourish at. As a consequence, Celtic will earn a kick-back if he moves for a fee, although a slice of that will go back to Manchester City.
Compare this to Moussa Dembele, who left Celtic at 22, but went to a club without an elite development strategy. He earned plenty but stagnated at Lyon and left on a free to go to Saudi two years ago. Reputations matter to selling clubs, even more so for players and agents. So many players wither in the stands. It’s important we have more development stories like Nicolas Kuhn, than Maik Nawrocki. The next batch of potential recruits are watching.
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Hello
Hiya
How will a bunch of development players cope with Ancelotti’s Govan Galacticos? They’re coming, honestly, this time they’re coming.
🎵 Frimpong Frimpong Frimpong Frimpong Frimpong diddle eye doh 🎵
Signed a young player whom we saw in a Celtic development game against Man City.
Paid a nominal development fee , had him for 18 months then sold him for over £11M reported and stand to pick another pre agreed £6-7m for him this summer.
If there’s anything in there that isn’t success given the model, could you let us know?
“Compare this to Moussa Dembele, who left Celtic at 22, but went to a club without an elite development strategy. He earned plenty but stagnated at Lyon and left on a free to go to Saudi two years ago”
Not sure to what extent Celtic can control this Paul?
Clearly, the success of our multi-year transfer strategy depends, in part, on those players we sell for big money going on to having fruitful careers at a higher level .. hence, validating the big price paid.
Otherwise Celtic players may develop a reputation for being overpriced.
(And the SMSM would leap giddily onto that bandwagon)
That said, if the club offering the most for our player sign him … and promptly hand him the keys to the larder where the multipacks of Monster Munch are kept? …
… what can Celtic do about it?
Am i the only one that thinks Maik Nawrocki is bang average and has shown nothing to command a starting place
NOTTHEBUS.
No, I think that’s a fair assessment. When I saw in his debut he lacked pace my heart sank
“It’s important we have more development stories like Nicolas Kuhn, than Maik Nawrocki. The next batch of potential recruits are watching.
This really gets to the heart of the matter for our recruitment of development players.
Around this time 2023, the recruitment team had an array of young footballers they were looking at…
…the computer says yes!!
They signed nine of those players.
Of course during that time our Ange was talking to the big wigs in London town about his future.
He left and was replaced by Brendan Rodgers during the long Celtic summer…
The new manager didn’t get an opportunity to “check out” his new players, as the conveyor belt rolled.
Move on to the end of 2023, and the recruitment team are preparing for the January 2024 winter window they had an array of young footballers they were looking at…
…the computer says yes!!
However, the Manager didn’t only have time to check out these potential new recruits, he was in a twice bitten, thrice shy situation.
He rejected all the recruitment candidates save Nic Kuhn.
For me this is the way the recruitment has got to happen; use all the modern scouting and analytics techniques available to get a dataBase of development candidates, let the coaches and manager have much greater input into the final selection.
It’s a win~win
Hail Hail
PODIUM!
Ah, feck.
Nawrocki isn’t a poor player and would flourish somewhere else. But he lacks the pace for a Celtic centreback that plays such a high line for 95% of the season. The perfect example of the disastrous scattergun approach to recruitment from summer 23 rather than recruiting for the needs of the team.
So yep let’s have more Kuhn and less Nawrocki as you say Paul
H3
Totally agree with you, the way P67 keeps going on about him makes me think, that he thinks, he’s the next Beckenbauer!
You can’t develop pace.
Nawrocki and Lagerbielke represent a failure of recruitment- not development.
So, more Kühns and fewer Nawrockis?
Hhmmm, i should know this one. Is the correct answer ‘Brendan Rodgers’?
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 13TH MAY 2025 12:39 PM
P67 has gone awfully quiet on Kwon these days 😂
Rumour Leverkusen are looking at AJ to replace Frimpong….
NOTTHEBUS at 12.16
No. You’re not. And I think BR thinks the same. Two years watching him train every day and he’s basically, what, 5th choice centre back since Welsh and Murray went out on loan?
A quick edit of Paul’s leader might read: “It’s important we sign more players of Nicolas Kuhn’s standard than Maik Nawrocki’s.”
NOTTHEBUS
You and Brendan
Luis Palma due back next month 👍
More revisionism from our host. At the time wee Frimpers was being hawked around Europe he was the best young footballer Scotland albeit playing for a dysfunctional manager in an underperforming team. He was already ‘developed’ when he arrived and, to be fair, a better player when he left because he took advantage of the opportunities, and game time he was given at Celtic. Anyone incapable of seeing that has no business talking about player development. He was sold at a knockdown price and it was no surprise to see him thrive at Bayer Leverkusen, and indeed we saw an incredidible contest between Jeremy and Jota when Leverkusen came to Glasgow, a contest marred only the abuse he received from a section of the Celtic support, our support, on the night. Tant Pis. Would be a great signing for Liverpool, especially under a Dutch coach in Arnie Slot, and if we get a cut of the transfer fee that would help make up for the shortfall in the sale price four years back. And if indeed Frimpers has any regrets in the his manner of leaving Celtic he left on a high note, with our trip to Dubai being the highlight of our season.
TwistinByThePoolCSC
For players to develop they have to play. To play they have to a) be good enough and b) fit the system we play.
Haksabanovic and Palma both looked much better suited to the middle of a three in a 4-2-3-1, which we don’t use. On what basis were they recruited?
Not entirely sure Frimpong would be a great fit for Liverpool by the way – has always looked better as a wing-back to me. Not to say a good coach couldn’t make it work of course.
Good to see Benji Siegrist, once of this parish, make his debut for Genoa at the weekend. He’s playing again next weekend. Wonder what happened at Celtic?
TRENT ARNOLD…….What Club has he signed for, is it Real Madrid ?
HH.
I agree with those that mentioned Maik’s lack of pace. I remember a goal up at Pittodrie where the Aberdeen striker just breezed past him. Listen, when we sign a player, all of us wants it to work out for the young guys, but sometimes it doesn’t. If we were to go back over the list of players we have signed in the last 20 years, there would be more misses than hits. Sometimes its just the weight of expectation, the player that they replaced, moving abroad for the first time, injuries, or a new manager that just doesn’t take to you. As folks say, we don’t know how these guys train everyday. A couple of blasts from the past: Remember Martin Hayes from THe Arsenal . 120 games in the center of midfield, 30 goals and we signed him for over 600,000, but yet it didn’t work out for him. I think he earned the nickname “Joggin about”. Charlie Nick second time around, I loved him being there. When I was injured, I was out pounding the auld red ash track that went around the stadium at that time. Wee Brian Scott gave me a list of what I had to do and the times I had to do it in. I was doing horseshoes, corner flag to corner flag, starting at the corner of the main stand and the Huns end, and finishing at the corner of the Jungle and the Huns end. Scotty gave me 55 seconds to do it in. Charlie was coming back from injury so it was just him and I. Im stretching and doing all the things that you do before you sprint, and Charlie sits in the dugout pulls out the newspaper and drinks a cup of tea with wee Mary and the cleaning ladies. I do my stuff and then finish and Charlie asks me what my times were and I told him 39-41 seconds. So the bould Charlie says ok my time was probably around 45-47. The gaffer comes back out after practice and asks me how Charlie did and I told him. Mr. McNeil then asks me if I think he is fit for the game on Saturday and I says yes boss:)))) The gaffer comes back and says to me, even Charlie first time around could never get under 55. Charlie plays against Dundee UTD at home that weekend and scores 2 sublime goals. We all support our players when they pull on that jersey, just like when players like young Johnny Kenny come on the field and we want him to score that first goal, or James Forrest to continue the streak. Competition at Celtic everyday must be tough. the standard set by folks like Calmac and others is what makes us successful, that and of course a great management team that watches them studiously everyday. Look at how unfortunate it has been for wee Kyogo, breaks our hearts, but sometimes it just doesn’t go according to plan.
Sorry for the long post.
Sean
Name a Celtic youth player that we’ve ‘lost’ whose gone on to great success?
For whom it may concern et al….
Trent Alexander-Arnold is not a traditional right back, indeed he is not a particularly good defender, (tends to miss players like Vini Jr drifting in from wide) but he is very effective playing wide as part of a back four, capable of initiating and supporting forward attacking play, as is Frimpong. If anything Connor Bradley may be a better replacement for the now despised, by some Liverpool “supporters”, leaving .player, and I think Frimpers could do well say in somewhere like Spain, but will not rule out the Dutch coach factor
I think that there is more chance of Mourinho ending up in Glasgow within 12 months than Davide Ancelloti.
TT
big jimmy
Trent hasn’t actually signed for anyone yet, only announced least week that he was leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Might want to avoid the top of the Bus parade planned to celebrate Liverpool’s second EPL title in five years, griven the abuse he is getting from some of their so called supporters. Real Madrid have actually offered £500,000 for an early release, to enable him going to the World Club Cup in the USA as their player. And don’t forget Liverpool turned down a £20 mill offer in January, leaving some of their fans complaining that Trent is wholly responsible for him going for nowt. It’s a funny ol game, yet funnily enough, the only scousers who are laughing…..support Everton.
JJ Maeda Jota Abada Hatate Kuhn Johnston GG Starfelt O Riley CCV all in past
Can anyone point me to similar success or potential success we are seeing from those tasked with recruiting this past 3 windows ?
Easy to point to less successful ones but where are the likely successes who will add value to themselves or the team ?
I have just the 2 possibles in mind.
Arne Engels presser
https://youtu.be/0AeYbS9I3P8?si=uEc7evxQSYOFcf-v
HH
Looks like mcinnes is off to hertz
Celtic Mac on 13th May 2025 2:24 pm
big jimmy
……………….
Cheers Mate.
I was aware that he was leaving Liverpool but I am/was unsure what Club he was going to in all probabilty ?
HH.
Gene on 13th May 2025 2:44 pm
Looks like mcinnes is off to hertz
…………
They deserve each other….and NOT in a nice way !
It may end in tears ?
LOL
HH.
Burnley78 @ 2:39 pm,
Here’s a list of players under Mark Lawwell’s recruitment
DF Alexandro Bernabei
FW Sead Hakšabanović
MF Oliver Abildgaard
DF Alister Johnston
FW Oh Hyeon-gyu
MF Kwon Hyeok-kyu
FW Marco Tilio
DF Gustaf Lagerbielke
MF Tomoki Iwata
MF Odin Holm
MF Luis Palma
DF Maik Nawrocki
FW Yang Hyun-jun
That’s around 30 mn pounds worth of money spent, mainly on prospects
Here’s a list since Mark was sidelined
MF Engels
FW Jota
FW Idah
DF Trusty
MF Bernardo
FW Kuhn
GK Sinisalo
MF McCowan
GK Schmeichel
DF Jeffrey Schlupp – Loan
DF Keiran Tierney- Pre-contract
That’s around 40 mn spent mainly on first team players
POV: We’ve spent more on fewer players but we have had much more value out of the last three windows.
Hail Hail
Re. McInnes toHearts, only a week ago P67 said this on Tony Bloom’s involvement at Tynecastle:
Bloom, a gambling savant, is one of the most impressive operators in the game. His football algorithms are private, but they result in a total commitment to a player development model. He understands that if a club is to reach its potential, it must fill every space in the squad with players who can develop and be sold at a profit.
There are no passengers, not mid-career drifters. Guru managers do not exist in Bloom’s world, those who fail to develop or give opportunity to players, do not last. Even Hearts fans cannot be thick enough to turn this down.
– – – – –
Did the Hearts Board not get the memo? His appointment is just the usual SPFL lazy mngmt merrygoround.
Has Odin Holm started a game in the MLS yet?
DeniaBhoy on 13th May 2025 3:06 pm
Did the Hearts Board not get the memo? His appointment is just the usual SPFL lazy mngmt merrygoround.
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And it looks like it’s Naismith to Kilmarnock, scouring the world for the best coach or just listening/watching BBC Scotland or Clyde to see which Hun needs a job and there you go, analytics and coaching prowess be damned!
Bsr
According to Wikipedia he’s had 3 games – not sure if any were starts