Celtic are blocking a move to Liverpool for one of their academy prospects, with a dispute over compensation putting the brakes on any deal. This signals a saga that the club are no stranger to.
15-year-old defender, Dara Jikiemi, is yet to sign his first professional contract and had been edging towards Anfield. Reports suggested that Jikiemi had agreed terms with Liverpool and had even missed youth fixtures for Celtic in anticipation of a move.
Nottingham Forest were also in the picture. Celtic were already preparing for interest, aware that English clubs had been circling and that the player’s contractual position left little margin for manoeuvre.
That is where the situation has now stalled. According to This is Anfield, there will be no Liverpool move for Jikiemi at this stage. The Secret Scout has gone further, reporting that Celtic ‘are digging in heels regarding fee and compensation’.
Celtic are not happy! They are digging in heels regarding fee and compensation
— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) January 6, 2026
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This is the familiar battleground for clubs north of the border. With players this young, there is no transfer fee in the traditional sense. Compensation is negotiated instead, usually built around training costs, appearance milestones, sell on clauses and future percentages.
Those clauses matter more than any upfront figure when a club believes the player has a real ceiling. Celtic have been burned before by seeing academy talent move early for modest sums, only to develop elsewhere with little coming back.
The problem is leverage. When a player is not tied to a long-term professional contract, the selling club is exposed. If the player wants to go, options are limited, and English clubs know it.
What makes this case different is Celtic’s apparent willingness to push back hard. Blocking the move, at least for now, sends a message internally and externally that they are not prepared to roll over on valuation, even at youth level.
For Jikiemi, it leaves his immediate future uncertain. For Celtic, it highlights the ongoing tension between developing players and protecting value in a system that often favours bigger, richer clubs.
Tees for Tims