Celtic’s transfer policy has been absolutely outstanding. Not just over the last season and a half but, speaking more generally, over the last decade or so.
Buying players, developing them and then selling them on for a healthy profit is what a proper playing trading model is.
And it has served us well.
We have raked in over £140m in transfer profit in the last decade and that kind of financial performance has kept us in a sound financial position.
But it doesn’t always work out. Celtic fans know this all too well.
Players like Ismail Soro, Vakoun Bayo and Nadir Ciftci are all testament to that.
But there are two players that Mark Hendry of Football Scotland has claimed were not a big loss to the club.
When reviewing our transfer business this season, Hendry said, “On the way out went Christopher Jullien for £1m and Karamoko Dembele on a free. Not ideal but not exactly major losses, either.”
In his pomp, Karamoko Dembele promised much but delivered nothing.
Many could argue that his injury hampered what was meant to be his breakthrough season under Postecoglou but, clearly, the Celtic gaffer didn’t fancy him.
Chris Jullien was a different case altogether. A £7m Neil Lennon signing, a knee injury kept him out the side during Postecoglou’s rebuild and with the capture of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt, the defensive duo was so successful that their partnership helped turn the Celts into one of the meanest defences in the league.
The big Frenchman’s public outburst towards Postecoglou certainly didn’t endear him to the manager and soon he found himself on his way out as a £1m signing to Montpellier.
Overall, it’s hard to disagree with Hendry’s assertion on the two, but I would love to have seen Dembele make it at Celtic and showcase that early promise he showed when he first broke onto the scene.