Manchester City are expected to bank up to £3.5m from the January transfer window thanks to a clause inserted into one of their 2019 deals.
Jeremie Frimpong left the Etihad without playing a first-team game for Pep Guardiola's side, with Celtic paying an initial £350,000 as well as the offer of additional performance-based payments and the guarantee of giving the Blues 30 per cent of any future sale.
The young right-back enjoyed early success in the Scottish Premiership, making his debut within a month of joining and scoring two goals in 19 appearances as Neil Lennon's side completed a domestic treble. Frimpong has continued to play this season, yet turned down a contract offer and is set to move in the January transfer window with the Record reporting that Bayer Leverkusen are close to an £11.5m agreement.
Lennon confirmed that Frimpong is expected to leave the club imminently, telling reporters this week: “He’s abroad at the minute negotiating a deal with a big European club.
“So we’re hoping that the deal goes through in the next 24 hours or so. We expect it to happen."
City's principle of inserting clauses whenever they can in deals involving young players to leave the club has helped them to maximise profits as well as future options. The extra money that they will receive from Frimpong will add to a total sum they have received for academy and City Football Group players over the last five years that already stands at over £150m.
