Celtic have been pretty consistent when it comes to spending money to bring new players to Parkhead throughout previous transfer windows.

However, as happens with a lot of clubs, not just in Scotland but in other leagues across the world, not every deal ends up being a successful one.

One prime example of a less than fruitful transfer from a financial point of view for the Hoops is their 2019 move for defender Hatem Elhamed.

Signed from Israeli club Hapoel Be'er Sheva in a deal worth a reported £1.6m three summers ago, the defender ended up making just 30 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions. In February 2021, Celtic sold the 31-year-old back to his previous club for a fee of £800k, half of what they originally paid for him.

The 2019/20 season saw the Israel international make just 15 appearances then came in the first half of the 2020/21 campaign before his eventual return to his homeland.

His eight Premiership appearances last term saw the defender, who is currently valued at £450k, earn a middle-of-the-road overall performance rating of 6.9/10 from WhoScored. In addition to his underwhelming performances, the former Hoops player was struck with numerous injury issues which resulted in him missing a total of 43 games according to Transfermarkt.

Speaking about Elhamed's exit from the club, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon said: He said: "He was going through a really difficult time, his wife and son were back in Israel and he was here on his own. He was really struggling with life away from the training ground and stadium."

Taking all this into account, it's safe to say that Elhamed's transfer to Celtic just didn't work out and was not a good move for anyone apart from Hapoel Be'er Sheva, who ended up banking quite a lot of money for him.

From Celtic's point of view, it can be said that a grand total of £2.7m from his original transfer fee and £14k-per-week wages ended up going down the drain.

In other news: Ange must now seal Celtic deal for “magic” £21.5k-p/w ace, he’s an “absolute dream”