Celtic have struck an initial agreement with Vissel Kobe to sign Kyogo Furuhashi.
The 26-year-old winger will undergo a medical before completing the move although a work permit will also be required to move to Scotland. A fee of 700 million yen has been reported, around £4.6m.
Clearly this move is driven by Ange Postecoglou from his time in charge of Yokohama Marinos, Furuhashi has six full international caps but hasn’t played for Japan since 2019. From You Tube videos he seems to be a fast, two-footed winger with an eye for goal.
Overnight Vissel Kobe announced:
We are pleased to announce that we have reached a basic agreement between the clubs regarding the complete transfer of forward Kyogo Furuhashi (26) to Celtic FC, which belongs to the Scottish Premiership. In the future, a formal contract will be signed after undergoing local medical checks.
Moi Elyounoussi was Celtic’s regular left-winger last season but won’t be returning for a third season on loan. Having lost Scott Sinclair, Lewis Morgan and Jonny Hayes in the previous two years Mikey Johnston appears to be the only option left in that position.
Having signed Liel Abada on Wednesday it is clear that wingers will have a big influence on the way that Postecoglou’s team plays.
Due to quarantine rules it is unlikely that Furuhashi will be able to play in the Champions League qualifiers against Midtjylland but if all goes well he should be available for the SPFL opener away to Hearts on July 31.
Furuhashi Transfermarkt profile.
