Where’s Hatate? Dan Orlowitz offers an explanation for delay

Two out of Celtic’s three speculated on signings from the J-League are believed to be in Europe about to undergo medicals. 

On Thursday night Yahoo Japan reported that Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda were Glasgow bound with transfer fees, salaries and work visas agreed to allow them to sign for Celtic. The same report expects Reo Hatate to leave Japan at the start of the new year

The 24-year-old Kawasaki Frontale midfielder has also been strongly linked with following Ange Postecoglou and Kyogo Furuhashi but wasn’t as prominent in last night’s reports. 

When it comes to all matters Japanese Celtic fans turn to Dan Orlowitz with the Japan Times reporter able to offer some reassurance, purely a professional reading of events rather than inside information. 

100% pure speculation: his season ended a little later than the other two (because of Emperor’s Cup semis) and he may have needed a bit of time off. Surely not a visa issue, if Ideguchi got approved Hatate’s gotta be a lock. https://t.co/9hZ9vbtMka

— x Dan Orlowitz (@aishiterutokyo) December 30, 2021

With two of the three expected signings in Europe it seems like the next detail on Ideguchi and Maeda will be from Celtic with the deals likely to be announced on social media. 

There may be some other travel issues to overcome before they can report for training at Lennoxtown but Ideguchi and Maeda could well be in the squad to face Hibs on January 17 with Hatate also in the mix. 

CLICK HERE for Hatate Transfermarkt profile.