Celtic have gained a repuration over the last decade of signing players for relatively small transfer fees and turning them into prized assets, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Moussa Dembele and Kristoffer Ajer all making a name for themselves at Parkhead.
The trio represent that shrewd recruitment policy the Hoops scouting department have in place, but the club have still hard to dish some serious money to attract a number of players from across the globe to Glasgow’s East End.
Not all of those big-money signings have proved success stories but a host of players signed by Celtic for significant fees have moved on to bigger and better things. While transfer fees across the world have increased hugely since the turn of the century, supporters can still afford to look back on the list of top-class players to have represented the Hoops.
Here, GlasgowWorld takes a look at 20 of Celtic’s most expensive signings and where they are now.
13. Albian Ajeti - €5.5m
Season: 2020/21 - Signed from West Ham, the Swiss centre-forward endured a disastrous stint at Parkhead and never lived up to expectations. Injuries have severely hampered his progress and hasn’t exactly been prolific on loan at Austrian side Sturm Graz this season. One player the club are keen to remove from the wage bill. | Getty Images
14. Kyogo Furuhashi - €5.4m
Season: 2021/22 - Signed from Vissel Kobe, Celtic fans are fast running out of superlatives for the Japanese scoring machine who has been tipped to follow Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham this summer. His movement and eye for goal alone puts him among some of the best strikers the club has ever signed. | Getty Images
15. Mark Viduka - €5.35m
Season: 1998/99 - Signed from Dinamo Zagreb, the Australian attacker won supporters over by scoring plenty of goals after returning Down Under just days after his arrival in Glasgow. His attitude was often called into question and despite Martin O’Neill’s attempts to keep him, Viduka headed to Leeds United in a deal worth £6million. Now lives a charmed life in Croatia where he runs a coffee shop. | Getty Images
16. Carl Starfelt - €5m
Season: 2021/22 - Signed from Rubin Kazan, the Swedish international is still prone to the odd mistake and lapse in concentration but has build a very strong partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers over the past 12 months and has been a fairly reliable presence this season. Should stick around this summer under the new manager. | Getty Images