Jeremie Frimpong in Celtic nod as Bayer Leverkusen star could yet add millions to Parkhead coffers

Jeremie Frimpong owes a lot to Celtic after his meteoric rise from Man City's youth squad to a Bundesliga champion.

The pint-sized right-back was plucked from the Etihad's academy system by Neil Lennon in 2019 and almost instantly burst into the Hoops squad. Frimpong quickly became a hero with the green-and-white faithful and his vibrant personality made him a popular figure in the dressing room. Just a teenager at the time of his Parkhead arrival, the lighting quick defender packed in a lot during his 18 months in Glasgow, starring in the Europa League and lifting a famous Treble.

In January 2021, he was lured away by German giants Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of around £11.5million. Just as he did at Celtic Park, Frimpong hit the ground running at the BayArena and was a key figure in helping the club make history last season by lifting their first-ever Bundesliga title.

Now a Netherlands international, Frimpong netted 14 goals and supplied 12 assists to help Xabi Alonso's side etch their names in the record books by completing an unbeaten league season. Frimpong's extraordinary form has inevitably led to links elsewhere, with the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona and Liverpool all said to be monitoring his progress.

It's understood Celts are due a to bank 30 per cent of any transfer profit should Frimpong be sold by the German champions. The 23-year-old was available for a bargain £38m but that release clause has now expired, meaning Leverkusen could bank millions more on their flying full-back. And that's good news for Celtic, with Frimpong still tied down for another four years.

Frimpong has never hidden his love and appreciation for Celtic since leaving Glasgow three-and-a-half years ago. He endured mixed emotions when Leverkusen thumped Celtic 4-0 at Parkhead in September 2021, and then 3-2 in the reverse tie. But as he reflected on a remarkable year that saw him lift the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup, the Europa League runner-up still had Celtic on his mind as he posted a throwback picture of his Treble-winning exploits at Celtic on social media, simply writing: "From @CelticFC to @bayer04fussball."