The thought of losing Kyogo Furuhashi to Manchester City will undoubtedly cause sleepless nights for many Celtic fans this week.
With reports suggesting that Manchester City are weighing up a potential offer for the prolific Celtic striker, the Parkhead faithful are bracing themselves for the possibility of losing two of their standout players if Matt O’Riley also makes his anticipated move to Brighton.
Kyogo Furuhashi has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving at Celtic, with his 73 goals propelling the club to an impressive haul of seven trophies out of the last nine available.
His impact on the team has been immense, both in terms of his goal-scoring exploits and his overall influence on the pitch. Yet, with the specter of a move to the Etihad Stadium looming large, there is growing concern over who could fill the void left by his potential departure.
However, according to Michael Stewart, Celtic may not need to look too far for a replacement. Daizen Maeda, another Japanese talent who has been integral to Celtic’s success in recent seasons, could be the man to step into Kyogo’s shoes.
Stewart, speaking on The Scottish Football Social Club, highlighted Maeda’s potential to lead the line for Celtic.
“Maeda has shown himself, and I think here in Scotland we felt that through the middle maybe he wasn’t an option. I know he’s played there for Japan but certainly there (against Hibs) he looked more than capable. He looked like a very viable option.”
Maeda’s performance in the recent League Cup victory over Hibernian, where he filled in for the injured Kyogo, has certainly given Brendan Rodgers something to ponder. Stewart added:
“So fast forward from last week where Kyogo is potentially injured, they haven’t signed Adam Idah yet and you’re thinking they don’t have a striker.
“All of a sudden now you’re looking and going they’ve got three. They’ve got three options up there. So things move fast in football and it’s certainly looking good for Celtic in that department.”
Maeda is no stranger to the striker role. Under Hajime Moriyasu’s guidance for the Japanese national team, Maeda has often been deployed as a forward, a position he also occupied during his stints at Yokohama F. Marinos and Mito HollyHock before his move to Celtic.
The only potential drawback is Maeda’s occasionally inconsistent finishing, but if he can sharpen up in front of goal, there is every reason to believe he could be the ideal candidate to fill the void should Kyogo make his much-feared exit from Celtic.
For now, Celtic fans will be hoping that Kyogo stays put, but if he doesn’t, Daizen Maeda might just be ready to seize his moment.