Celtic fans were excited by the overnight news that Daizen Maeda is a January transfer target.
After the success of Kyogo Furuhashi during the summer almost any player brought in from Japan will be given the warmest of welcomes by supporters who have made the former Vissel Kobe striker an instant hero.
Maeda seems to fall into a very similar category, at the age of 24 he has a few years experience, a proven goal record and has the Kyogo template to follow if he makes the move to Celtic. As an added bonus he has already spent a year in Portugal.
The success of Kyogo has also highlighted Celtic’s reliance on him, when he was injured with Japan the focus was lost on Ange’s side with one point taken from the matches against Livingston and Dundee United.
Albian Ajeti was given a chance when Kyogo was injured but has slipped back to third choice. Giorgos Giakoumakis impressed in his substitute appearance against Ferencvaros and looks set to be the second choice striker till January when all eyes will switch to Japan with a focus on Maeda.
Japanese Mbappe. He’s gonna be perfect for Scottish league.
— Kamil Gala (@GalsonHM) October 22, 2021
Looks a baller
— Max Stark?? (@MaxStark04) October 22, 2021
Daizen Maeda….
That’s the tweet!
Go get him Ange ????
— Steve Hoops (@Shoops67) October 22, 2021
Only a few caps for Japan a few years ago… are Work Permits a thing of the past these days?
— E-Tims (@ETimsNet) October 22, 2021
Another forward ? ?
Big Ange looking at a a more unusual 2-1-7 formation after January. ?
— John Carey (@Johnny_Carey) October 22, 2021
Daizen MAEDA already had a spell abroad but is raising interest and rumours again (including Celtic!). He is one player I need to talk to / find out about to see if he has an interest in going overseas again. Top scorer in J.League. CB Tomoki IWATA continues to do well.
— SorareJapan (@SorareJapan) October 17, 2021
I think if we get him Ajeti is gone
— peter (@petermac83) October 22, 2021
Can we have the boy that’s putting the crosses in from the right as well please.
— ???????Johnny_Scotland??????? (@Johnny_Saltire) October 22, 2021
The lad on the wing providing the crosses looked good too. Any quality central defenders out there? Now this where we just gotta trust Ange, its his knowledge (what the hun press and media say he lacks) that’ll be essential. Gerrard must be hoping Newcastle is his escape route to avoiding failure on his CV again because come the end of season Ange will have us topping the charts. HH