Liverpool are set for an eight-figure windfall in January as they profit from Bobby Clark‘s upcoming move from Salzburg to Celtic, despite currently being out on loan.
Clark left Liverpool for Salzburg in 2024, but after a difficult first season returned to England with a loan move to Derby in the summer.
His stay with the Championship strugglers is set to be cut short in January, however, with the Times‘ Martin Hardy reporting that he will join Celtic.
Celtic have agreed a deal worth £6 million for the midfielder, with Liverpool entitled to 17.5 percent of that fee.
That is due to a release clause negotiated into their agreement with Salzburg, who already paid £10 million to sign Clark in the first place.
Liverpool will therefore receive a further £1.05 million from the 20-year-old’s sale to Celtic.
Salzburg are cutting their losses on the initial deal – the third-most expensive in their history – which was steered by Pepijn Lijnders during his brief stint as head coach.
At least 15 clubs were interested in the summer and Newcastle were offered the chance to re-sign their academy graduate for £5 million.
But Clark’s eventual switch to Celtic – via a spell at Derby which has so far seen him play 10 times – will be even more lucrative for Liverpool.
The Reds paid Newcastle £1.5 million for Clark back in 2021, with that deal effectively paid for by striker Ethan Ennis’ move to Man United for the same fee.
Liverpool made big money on Clark
It means Liverpool’s overall profit from signing and selling the youngster will be £9.55 million.
Salzburg are also obliged to offer the Premier League champions first refusal on any deal to re-sign Clark, but that is not likely to be considered.
Clark made his first-team debut for Liverpool in 2022, coming off the bench in the 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth in the Premier League, and he went on to make 14 appearances.
Four of those were as a starter and 12 came in his final season at the club in 2023/24, during which he also scored his first and only goal in the 6-1 win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League.
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