With Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah among those to depart Parkhead in recent times, Celtic have frustratingly had to witness some of their best and brightest move on to pastures new, instead of sticking it out for the long haul in Glasgow.
Those who have moved on haven’t always enjoyed the best of fortunes, however, with the club’s record departures a case in point.
Indeed, Kieran Tierney – sold to Arsenal back in 2019 – has returned to Scotland this summer after six injury-hit years at the Emirates. Jota, meanwhile, is also now back on the books after enduring a miserable time in Saudi Arabia and France.
Matt O’Riley
Brighton
£25m
Jota
Al-Ittihad
£25m
Kieran Tierney
Arsenal
£23m
Moussa Dembele
Lyon
£19m
Nicolas Kuhn
Como
£16m
Odsonne Edouard
Palace
£14m
Kristoffer Ajer
Brentford
£13.5m
Virgil van Dijk
Southampton
£13.5m
Victor Wanyama
Spurs
£12.5m
In the case of Matt O’Riley, the elegant playmaker has joined Marseille on loan after just a solitary season at Brighton. Kuhn, now at Como, is yet to start a Serie A game since his £16m switch.
Even Kyogo – who departed for Rennes in January in the hope of securing a more prominent role for Japan – has found himself now operating in England’s Championship rather than the Champions League, with the grass certainly not always greener.
That being said, there are those who go on and flourish elsewhere after leaving the Premiership side, with young Ben Gannon-Doak proving a prime example.
Ben Gannon-Doak's display in numbers vs Belarus
Every club has a tale of ‘one that got away, with Gannon-Doak the most prominent name in recent times with regard to Celtic and their academy production line.
Handed two senior appearances by Ange Postecoglou as a mere 16-year-old, the flying winger could not be tempted to stay put in Scotland, instead moving to Premier League giants Liverpool for a compensation fee of just £600k.
While the intense competition at Anfield has seen the now 19-year-old move on to Bournemouth this summer, the nature of the £25m price tag emphasises just what a talent he truly is – a fact that he again showcased on Monday night away at Belarus.
The man who previously tormented Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol, Gannon-Doak is emerging as a real outlet for Steve Clarke and for Scotland despite his relative youth, with new Cherries teammate Ryan Christie highlighting just why he has become such a firm favourite for the Tartan Army:
That positivity was on full display on Monday, with Gannon-Doak – unleashed from the start by Clarke – proving a constant menace down the left flank, having been the away side’s ‘brightest creative spark’, according to GIVEMESPORT.
In his 74-minute outing, the youngster notably completed three of his four attempted dribbles, enjoyed a 93% pass accuracy rate and registered one key pass, as per Sofascore, having produced a performance of real authority off the left.
There was also steel to match the silk, however, a fact emphasised by a crunching challenge on the halfway line, that resulted in a yellow card, as he also notably won seven of his 11 total duels.
A player who looks like the complete package, Celtic will rue having let him slip from their grasp. That is in the past, however, with there now a new shining light to enjoy at Parkhead…
Callum Osmand could be Celtic's answer to Gannon-Doak
Too often in recent times have Celtic had to watch as their academy products have been snapped up by top-flight clubs south of the border, with teenage goal machine Daniel Cummings notably making the switch to West Ham United this summer.
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That being said, there are times where the Hoops are able to get their own back, with Brendan Rodgers and co memorably poaching a young Moussa Dembele from Fulham back in the summer of 2016.
Such a coup looks like it could well have been replicated this summer too, with the Scottish champions having managed to prise another teenage striker from Craven Cottage, in the form of Callum Osmand.
The 19-year-old may have yet to enjoy a taste of senior football in west London, although he has flourished at youth level in recent years, scoring 23 goals in just 38 U18 games, alongside netting 20 times in 35 games for the U21 side.
In one outing for Celtic ‘B’ team, the prolific teen has already got off the mark, emphasising just why he is so “highly-rated”, in the words of Rodgers:
Having discussed the potential move with another Fulham product, O’Riley, the Welshman will be looking to try and emulate the playmaker’s impact in green and white, with a starting berth seemingly up for grabs amid the uncertainty surrounding Celtic’s number nine berth.
Much like Gannon-Doak, the rapid talent appears to have that fearless quality to his attacking game, a point that has been emphasised by Fulham expert Jack Kelly:
While Celtic have had to witness Gannon-Doak flourish at international level, perhaps they could well get their own back with the case of Osmand, with it set to be intriguing to see if he can make a first-team impact under Rodgers this season.
There is a centre-forward vacuum to be filled in the wake of Idah’s departure – could Osmand now fill it?
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