A look back at the biggest transfer fees Celtic and Rangers have received for their stars
Celtic and Rangers both face a battle to retain some of their biggest stars this summer amid growing interest from a number of clubs from the Premier League and beyond.
Nicolas Kuhn is just one example of this with Serie A side Como FC reportedly joining Bundesliga heavyweights RB Leipzig and Champions League side Newcastle United in the race to sign the Celtic star after his stellar 21-goal season at Parkhead.
Meanwhile, young Rangers forward Hamza Igamane is also the subject of rampant transfer speculation linking him with a move to French side Lille, with Premier League outfit Everton also showing interest in the highly rated Moroccan international.
Over the years, the two Glasgow sides have reluctantly parted ways with a number of stars for blockbuster fees.
But who is the most expensive player to leave one of Glasgow elites and were they worth the money? Here’s all you need to know as we count down the top 10.
The most expensive players to leave Celtic and Rangers
10. Nathan Patterson: Rangers to Everton - £11.5m (2022) - Frank Lampard brought talented young Scottish full-back Nathan Patterson to Everton for £11.5m just weeks before being sacked from his position at Goodison Park.
At the time, Patterson had played just 12 league games for Rangers and he’s since gone on to feature 59 times for Everton while earning 23 caps for Scotland. However, he’s still not established himself as a first team regular with injury problems and David Moyes decision to favour Ashley Young hindering his progress.
9. Virgil van Dijk: Celtic to Southampton - £11.5m (2015) - You’ll struggle to find many better bargains in this list than Southampton’s acquisition of Virgil van Dijk. The Netherlands international played 67 matches for the Saints before joining Liverpool for £75m and establishing himself as arguably their best ever defender.
“I'm not sure about Virgil van Dijk at all because he's been playing for Celtic and hasn't had to head a ball,” said Paul Merson in 2015. It’s fair to say a decade on those comments haven’t aged well.
8. Victor Wanyama: Celtic to Southampton - £13m (2013) - Southampton did plenty of their shopping at Parkhead during the last decade and enjoyed huge success with the signing of Victor Wanyama from Celtic. The Kenyan was a huge hit with the Saints, racking up 97 appearances before joining Tottenham Hotspur.
He returned to Scotland with Neil Lennon at Dunfermline Athletic last season on a short term deal.
7. Kristoffer Ajer: Celtic to Brentford - £13.5m (2021) - Brentford signed Kristoffer Ajer to help them adjust to the demands of the top-flight and have remained a solid Premier League team ever since. Overall, Ajer has made 94 appearances for the Bees while continuing to be a regular at international level for Denmark.
6. Odsonne Édouard: Celtic to Crystal Palace: £14m (2021) - Odsonne Édouard,who also features on our list of most expensive buys, scored goals for fun at Celtic throughout his three year stay before making the move to Crystal Palace for £14m. However, those goals haven’t translated over to South London and he’s scored just 18 times in 95 appearances while failing to score in a dismal loan spell at Leicester last term.
5. Calvin Bassey: Rangers to Ajax - £19.5m (2022) - Nigeria international Calvin Bassey attracted interest from Ajax after helping Rangers to a Europa League final. He never quite hit the same heights in his sole season at Ajax but has done well at Fulham after moving for £21m in 2023.
4. Moussa Dembélé: Celtic to Lyon - £19.7m (2018) - French forward Moussa Dembele thrived in Scotland after arriving from Fulham, scoring 51 times in 94 matches for the Hoops. He continued to impress in France with Ligue 1, scoring 70 in 172 matches for Lyon. Dembele is currently playing for Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ettifaq where he had been managed by Steven Gerrard before the former Rangers boss's departure.
3. Jota: Celtic to Al-Ittihad - £25m (2023) - Portuguese playmaker Jota was a huge hit during his first stint at Parkhead, winning five major honours in just two seasons before joining Saudi side Al-Ittihad for £25m. Things never worked out for the Portuguese in the Middle East and he’s now back at Celtic after a brief and unsuccessful six month spell at Rennes in France.
2. Kieran Tierney: Celtic to Arsenal - £25m (2019) - Celtic hero Kieran Tierney joined Arsenal in 2019 for a then Scottish record £25m. He made a combined total of 144 appearances for the Gunners and was a part of a team which won the FA Cup in 2020 while also finishing runners-up in the league three years later. Injuries ultimately derailed his progress in North London and he’s recently made the decision to return to Parkhead on a free transfer.
1.Matt O’Riley: Celtic to Brighton - £30m (2024) - Brighton & Hove Albion ended one of the longest running transfer sagas of last summer when they beat the likes of Fulham, Atletico Madrid and AS Roma to the signature of Matt O’Riley. The Danish international was a standout performer in Glasgow but has not yet been able to replicate those levels after a series of injury problems in his debut season on the south coast. He’ll be hopeful of making a big impression next term as he acclimates to the demands of Premier League football.
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