This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.
Kristoffer Ajer arrived at Celtic from Norweigan side IK Start in 2016 for £540,000 with Scottish football not knowing much about him, per Transfermarkt. Fast forward four years and the centre-back is now wanted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe. His success at Celtic and the recent price tag placed on the player by the Hoops highlights how good a profit player Ajer looks to be for the club.
Ajer offers Celtic a solid defensive presence (winning 3.3 headers and 1.9 tackles per game) and despite being only 22-years-old he has already racked up 129 games for the Hoops, including 35 appearances in European competition.
These appearances have helped the Hoops win the league three times as well as five other domestic trophies. His strong form has not gone unnoticed as the recent news from Calciomercato, via celticbible, suggested that whilst Leicester, PSG and Real Madrid remain interested, AC Milan are ready to step up their pursuit of the centre-back with the Hoops demanding €25m (£22.5m).
This would be a good deal for both the player and the club. For the Hoops, they would be receiving an extremely sizable fee for a player who cost them almost £22m less just four years ago, whilst Ajer would be moving to one of the giants of European football.
If the Bhoys do sell for such a big amount, then it will cement the fact that signing the centre-back for £540k was a marvellous piece of business for the club as he produced for them on the pitch before fetching in a magnificent profit.
Could Ajer be a great profit player? Comment below!
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