Celtic’s 2020 summer transfer window was fairly unique for the club in that it was more significant for the players who remained, rather than those who were signed.
The Hoops held firm on their four most valuable assets in Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie, Olivier Ntcham and Kristoffer Ajer, all of whom had two years left on their deals, seemingly in an attempt to double down on securing a historic ten in a row.
Of course, we all know how that went, and all four players left the club to move to England the following summer whilst manager Neil Lennon and a host of other first-team players also departed, as Ange Postecoglou rebuilt Celtic from the embers and led the club to a league and cup double in his first season. Whilst others like Jeremie Frimpong have gone on to become stars in their own right, here’s how Celtic’s ‘Big Four’ have fared in English football when their time in Paradise came to an end.
Kristoffer Ajer
The towering defender marked his final season at Celtic with arguably the definitive moment of his Celtic career, scoring the winning penalty in the Scottish Cup final shootout against Hearts to secure the quadruple treble.
After five years at Celtic with a loan to Kilmarnock in the mix, Ajer signed for Brentford upon their promotion to the Premier League and was a mainstay in their top-flight campaign until an injury ended his season. Despite playing out of position at right-back in a back four – a role he only occasionally fulfilled in Glasgow – Ajer has represented a shrewd piece of business for Brentford, offering solidity out of possession and his trademark driving runs with the ball in build-up.
Also a regular fixture for the Norway national side, Ajer has played 29 games for Brentford, scoring a single goal against Southampton for the Bees on their way to a 13th place finish in the Premier League, a comfortable 11 points clear of relegation. They currently sit in 9th with as many points after seven games, with Ajer surely regaining his regular starting berth having made his injury comeback in last Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Olivier Ntcham
The most inauspicious of the departures was Ntcham’s, whose contract was cancelled by mutual consent in August of the window following a January loan move to Marseille, despite continual reported interest across his Celtic career from Porto.
After four years and some iconic derby and European goals for Celtic, the French midfielder signed for Swansea City a on a Bosman and has played 47 times for the Championship club, scoring four goals in the process.
It was a disappointing end to a career at Celtic Park that promised much, and despite appearing regularly for Swansea since, it feels like an bleak trajectory for a player often capable of dominating European fixtures on his own. Swansea finished 15th last season, a full 14 points shy of the play-offs, and currently sit a place worse off after 10 Championship games. Of the four, Ntcham has inarguably been the least successful, post-Celtic, with little sign of a move to a top European league materialising.
Ryan Christie
The most familiar to avid followers of Scottish football as a regular fixture in the Scotland setup, Ryan Christie looked the most likely of the four to stay at Celtic Park following Postecoglou’s arrival.
He seemed perfectly suited to the Aussie’s style and started the season brightly, but left on deadline day to join Bournemouth in a cut-price deal as a result of his contract expiring in January.
Christie starred for the Cherries in their promotion back to the Premier League, playing 39 times and scoring three goals as Bournemouth finished 2nd to secure an automatic return to the top-flight. However, Bournemouth have endured a challenging return to the zenith of English football, with manager Scott Parker sacked after a harrowing 9-0 annihilation against Liverpool at Anfield, during which Christie was sacrificed at half time with his side 5-0 down. They currently sit 12th on 8 points after seven games, with the 27 year old yet to register a goal or assist in eight appearances so far this campaign.
However, on balance, given the nominal fee involved, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t represented a thoroughly worthwhile transfer, even if his time in the Premier League doesn’t become a prolonged one.
Odsonne Edouard
The French forward was the jewel in the crown of Celtic’s side for years, and delivered several iconic moments in green and white. After protracted links across the summer window, Edouard finally signed for Crystal Palace on deadline day, where he’s endured mixed fortunes since.
Despite a headline-grabbing debut on which he grabbed a double against Tottenham and a trademark goal against Arsenal at the Emirates, the Frenchman has often been played wide in Patrick Viera’s attack, and has struggled for form and goals of late, scoring seven in 38 appearances in all competitions since completing his move to London. Palace sit 16th in the table after six games but have been transformed from a industrious perennial relegation-battlers to a vibrant attacking side full of promising talent under Patrick Viera, a transformation that should in theory suit Edouard. Whilst it’s fair to say that he hasn’t lived up to expectations thus far, Edouard’s natural talent should see him find his place in a top five league soon, even if that isn’t at Crystal Palace or the Premier League at all, for the moment.
In other news: Chris Sutton makes surprising choice for Celtic’s most important player
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