There was plenty of change at Celtic last summer as Brendan Rodgers returned for a second spell at the club, whilst a number of players moved in and out of Parkhead.
Central defender Carl Starfelt, who had been a rock at the heart of Ange Postecoglou's defence, was sold to LaLiga side Celta Vigo after the 2022/23 campaign.
The Hoops responded by signing Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki on permanent deals, whilst Nat Phillips joined on a short-term loan from Liverpool.
That string of deals has turned out to be a nightmare for Rodgers as Starfelt's value has soared this season and the replacements brought in have failed to nail down a place in the side, as the three defenders have started 11 league matches between them.
Carl Starfelt's value last summer
At the time of his switch to Celta Vigo, FootballTransfers placed the central defender's Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €2.8m (£2.4m) after his performances for the Bhoys last season.
Starfelt, who John Hartson described as "pivotal" to the club's success, featured in 28 of the club's 38 Scottish Premiership matches under Postecoglou last term.
The Sweden international made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game and won 67% of his duels throughout the season to help his team collect 11 clean sheets and the top-flight title.
That came after the 28-year-old star had started 34 league matches under the Australian boss and helped the side to keep 18 clean sheets during the previous season.
These statistics show that Starfelt was a key performer at the back for Celtic as he was a regular starter across two seasons at Parkhead, and secured two league titles in the process.
Carl Starfelt's current market value
At the time of writing (16/02/2024), FootballTransfers has his xTV at €4.9m (£4.2m) and this means that his value has soared by 75% since the start of the season.
It has rocketed up from the initial €2.8m he was valued at upon signing for Celta Vigo last summer, which shows that the experienced defender made the right decision.
The 28-year-old former Hoops star wanted to test himself in the Spanish top-flight and his soaring market value suggests that he has passed that test.
Appearances
17
Sofascore rating
6.99
Ground duel success rate
67%
Aerial duel success rate
63%
Tackles and interceptions per match
2.6
Stats via Sofascore
Starfelt has started 17 matches in LaLiga so far this season for his new club, which means that the talented battler has started six more games than the three players signed in his position have for Celtic combined in the Premiership.
He has been a regular starter and dominant performer, as shown by the statistics in the table above, at the back for the Spanish side, whilst Rodgers' two permanent additions, now that Phillips has returned to Liverpool, have not adequately replaced him.
Celtic are level on points with Rangers in the Premiership table as it stands and have conceded four more goals than their closest rivals, which may leave them regretting allowing Starfelt to leave last summer.
Rodgers appears to have had a mare by both failing to convince the impressive defender to remain at Parkhead and then failing to bring in quality replacements for him as neither Nawrocki nor Lagerbielke have been regular starters.