Rising star agreed to join Celtic from PL club after being blown away by sales pitch - Sources

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on:

13 Sep 2019, 4:30 am

By Wayne Veysey

Jeremie Frimpong decided to quit Manchester City for Celtic after being blown away by the Scottish club's sales pitch, Football Insider has learned.

The Glasgow giants announced on Scottish deadline day at the start of this month they had signed the Dutch youth international, 18, from the Premier League champions and he had agreed a four-year deal.

A source with knowledge of Frimpong's situation has told Football Insider that the rising star was won over by Celtic's plans to develop him into a first-team player.

The Hoops staff made it clear to the teenager, who has been capped by Holland at Under-19 level, they regard him as someone who is not only a future star but capable of playing for their senior side this season.

Frimpong felt he had outgrown development football and jumped at Celtic's offer of a far more direct route to first-team football than he had at City.

The attacking right-back has already acquired extensive experience of Under-23s and Under-18s football for City, starting the club's first three Premier League 2 matches of this season.

Celtic signed three new right-backs this summer but there is room for Frimpong to make a mark in a way that he felt was not quite so evident at Etihad Stadium, where competition for places is even more intense.

The new first choice right-back at Celtic is Hatem Abd Elhamed, who signed for £1.5million this summer, while Moritz Bauer has also arrived on loan from Stoke City.

Elhamed could be forced to move across to centre-back for tomorrow's SPL clash against Hamilton, with Bauer slotting in at right-back.

In other Celtic news, it can be REVEALED that the club are set to pocket a sensational £8.5million windfall.

Celtic