Celtic have lost one of their bright young talents to a Premier League giant. The Bhoys have found it difficult to keep hold of their top talents at times over recent years, and they have seen one of their most talented young players poached away.
As is always going to be the case, Premier League clubs are able to offer bigger wages and a path to the best league in the world, which is always going to turn the heads of young players, just like it does for more senior stars.
Celtic losse Jikiemi
Celtic have now lost talented young centre-back Dara Jikiemi, who has joined Liverpool. Fabrizio Romano posted on X: "Liverpool have sealed deal to sign Scotland U16 captain Dara Jikiemi from Celtic, here we go! Jikiemi has signed paperwork on Sunday to join on a 5 year contract."
There aren't any details about the compensation involved, but Liverpool will have had to agree a compensation package with Celtic to agree the move. Failure to agree on compensation would lead to a tribunal to decide the amount to be paid, but clubs usually look to avoid that process.
Jikiemi is now 16 years of age, and he is a Scotland under-16s international, leading that particular group, having come through the age groups with the Tartan Army.
The defender has been impressing for Celtic youth in the Lowland League, and he will now link up with Liverpool's youth groups down South. It will be a blow for Celtic, who have brought Jikiemi through their system, but it is always difficult to keep hold of these types of players when clubs like Liverpool come knocking.
The best a club can do is lock down a player to a professional contract as early as possible to maximise the transfer fee.
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