MANCHESTER CITY’S transfer plans could be set to benefit Celtic, according to a report.
But this time it has NOTHING to do with Kyogo Furuhashi.
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The Japanese frontman was under consideration by the Premier League champions this summer, as they looked for different attacking options to Erling Haaland.
That would have netted some mega money into Parkhead coffers.
In the end, nothing came of that transfer move, but a team of City’s riches are rarely quiet in the move market.
And their next rumoured step when the window opens could yet see the Hoops cash in.
Without doing a thing.
According to the Scottish Daily Mail Pep Guardiola might be tempted to move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong.
The former Celt is one of the hottest properties in Europe and frequently linked with a myriad of clubs, including City’s neighbours Manchester United.
He was signed and sold by Neil Lennon – bringing a net profit of £11.45m over his two-year spell in the Hoops.
But after selling him in 2019, City are now considering bringing the Dutchman BACK to the Etihad – at a cost of more than 100-times what they sold him for.
Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga side have inserted a £34m release clause into the 23-year-old’s deal – but Celtic also reportedly have a 30 per cent sell-on clause too.
That only applies to the profits of any future deal, but the Hoops could still bank a cool £7.3m from City.
The teams have had a good working relationship on transfers in the past – with the likes of Jason Denayer and Patrick Roberts moving north on loan – and Dedryk Boyata, Olivier Ntcham and even Giorgos Samaras moving north permanently.
Frimpong was the last to make that move – but admitted he had HUGE reservations, even as he made his way to put pen to paper.
He only joined after his DRIVER and brother persuaded him to make the move.
Frimpong told the Rising Ballers podcast: “I packed to go to Celtic but I said to my agent and the driver, ‘let’s turn around, I don’t want to go no more’.
“But my agent was stressing, he was so stressed.
“He was saying ‘Jeremie, you don’t understand this opportunity’.
“This is life changing, this is first team, this is Celtic, big history, they play Champions League.”
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A word or two from his brother over the phone helped put Frimpong’s mind at ease.
He said: “My brother texted me and said ‘forget about your friends’.
“‘I understand how you are feeling but you said you wanted to be a footballer but there comes a time when you have to leave your friends and your family and it stars now’.
“When he said that, I was like ‘okay we are going’. But to leave my friends was one of the worst things I had to do.”
He has also been asked about re-joining his old team in the past – and left the door open.
Speaking in Spanish newspaper Marca, last year he said: ‘It would be great, but I don’t know.
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“They have just won the Champions League and are the best team in the world. In the future we will see.”
Frimpong was named alongside Celtic’s Alistair Johnston as a selection option for Fifa’s world XI for 2024.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
