4. VICTOR WAMYAMA
Another sale to Southampton who as a Premier League club were first to realise that there was real value to be had in Scotland and high quality at Celtic particularly when feeding off the signings that John Park and Neil Lennon had brought to Glasgow as the beginning of the push for 10IAR. Wanyama was a star at Southampton after his £12.5million move from Celtic and was sold on to Tottenham for roughly the same money that the Saints paid for him, mostly as big Victor’s contract was running down. A series of injuries has resulted in falling out of the first team picture at Spurs and that could open the door to a return to Glasgow to team-up again with Neil Lennon. Wanyama has made big money in England but you get the feeling that he was at his happiest playing for Celtic. VALUE FOR MONEY 8/10.
5. FRASER FORSTER
Fraser Forster was yet another big money transfer between Celtic and Southampton – this time for £10million. After starring in the Champions League, including that never to be forgotten night against Barcelona in November 2012, Forster really had to move if he wanted to establish himself as England’s Number One. he did get into the national side and was a huge success at Southampton until he suffered a severe injury that was at one time thought to be career threatening. By that time the Saints had signed him on a much improved long term contract and would have expected to break records for a goalkeeper sale to one of the top six sides. That injury left Saints with Forster as the club’s top earner out for a year and then when fully fit relegated to third choice keeper, probably to reduce costs. A loan move back to Celtic allowed Forster to resume playing again and a permanent deal in the summer is on the cards if both clubs can meet each other in the middle and the player himself is prepared to lower his own earnings in order to play for Celtic long-term.
VALUE FOR MONEY 8/10.
6. AIDEN McGEADY
Aiden McGeady’s move to Moscow gave Celtic the funds – around £9.5million – for new manager Neil Lennon to build a team with. With the likes of Hooper, Wanyama, Forster, Ki Sung-Yong and Izaguirre all being brought in that move really kick started Celtic’s 10IAR ambitions. Aiden for that reason is a real Celtic Star and he was a rather special player too. VALUE FOR MONEY 7/10.
7. STUART ARMSTRONG
He had an eye on playing in the English Premier League from the minute he walked in the door at Celtic after Ronny Deila signed him from Dundee Utd. It took the arrival of Brendan Rodgers, who got the best out of the goalscoring midfielder mostly by playing him in his best position, ‘centre-mid’ as the song says. He starred in the Invincible season, signed a one year contract extension and although he faded in the Double Treble year, his agent had enough You Tube material to convince Southampton that the £7million fee was yet another bargain from Celtic. He’s been in and out of the team and his form has been up and down to say the least. There were some rumours in the summer that he might be heading back to Paradise but that was unfounded. As it is he’s a bench warmer at Southampton and is in desperate need of another purple patch period in his career. VALUE FOR MONEY 6/10.
