Celtic defender Liam Scales delivers masterclass display for Ireland in win v Finland

Several Celtic players were in action for their respective countries on Thursday.

Liam Scales was one of the 13 Celtic players on international duty, and Brendan Rodgers will be absolutely thrilled by his efforts.

The Bhoys defender started for the Republic of Ireland and played the entire game in the 1-0 win against Finland.

Scales has made ten starts in the Scottish Premiership this season and has one goal to his name.

Celtic have been flying high in the league this season, and Scales has helped the Hoops to keep eight clean sheets so far.

The 26-year-old continued his impressive form for his country and delivered a masterclass performance.

Scales delivers defensive masterclass v Finland

The Irish defender is not someone who commits to making tackles. He makes 1.4 tackles and 4.4 ball recoveries per game.

Scales manages 91% passing accuracy and makes 5.1 clearances per game.

The defender made 12 clearances against Finland and blocked two efforts. He won six out of seven duels and only lost possession seven times during the game.

Rodgers should be thrilled by Scales display

The Celtic boss will be very pleased to find that both Scales and Auston Trusty are playing exceptionally well.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has become almost undroppable at Celtic Park, but these two defenders are forcing Rodgers to pick them in the starting eleven.

In the previous game against Motherwell, both Scales and Trusty started at the back, and the pair did really well, although Kasper Schmeichel grabbed all the headlines for his outstanding performance.

Rodgers will definitely welcome this selection headache. It also reflects how strong Celtic are at the moment and that all players are fighting for their places in the side.

Celtic will play Hearts away from home after the international break, followed by an important Champions League game against Club Brugge.

Rodgers will hope that Scales will continue his impressive form for the Bhoys.

How Celtic could net a £7m transfer windfall without selling a single player

The transfer move that could have knock-on effects

Celtic have made millions in the transfer market in recent years through buying players at a low price and selling them on for sizeable profits. Now they could be set to bank another major windfall without selling a single player.

Matt O’Riley is the most recent example of Celtic’s recruitment success with the £1.5million signing from MK Dons in January 2022 being sold to Brighton in the summer transfer window fora whopping £26m. Jota and Kieran Tierney were sold for similar amounts, while the likes of Liel Abada, Josip Juranovic, Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer have all earned the club significantly more than their original purchase price.

Another player to add to that list is Jeremie Frimpong. The Dutch right-back joined Celtic from Manchester City in a deal worth £350,000 back in 2019. He was subsequently sold to Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £11.5m in January 2021 before going on to become a Bundesliga title winner and a fully fledged Netherlands international.

Former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong, right, in action for Bayer Leverkusen. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

His impressive form in Germany has attracted the interest of some of the biggest clubs in Europe with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City all quoted as potential destinations for the 23-year-old. A possible move to Anfield was mooted this week with the Daily Mail reporting that Liverpool have put Frimpong at the top of their potential list of replacements for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who appears likely to depart the club when his contract runs out at the end of the season.

The report claims that Liverpool are prepared to meet the £35m release clause in Frimpong’s Leverkusen contract, with Celtic due 30 per cent of any profit the German club makes. That would equate to Celtic receiving a sell-on fee of around £7m, further strengthening the coffers of the Scottish champions, whose latest annual accounts showed a record bank balance of £77m.

Celtic even managed to make a profit in the most recent summer transfer window despite spending a combined £20m recruiting both Arne Engels and Adam Idah, with the sale of O’Riley absorbing the financial outaly. And with £40m coming into the club from participation in this season’s newly-revamped Champions League, and in-form winger Nicolas Kuhn tipped to be the next £20m plus departure, the financial situation at Parkhead continues to go from strength-to-strength.