‘Atletico Madrid like that sort of player’: Celtic told how 26-year-old star could be worth ‘£100m’

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Peter Grant thinks Celtic winger Daizen Maeda would be worth ‘£100 million’ if he had better end product to his game and how he is someone Atletico Madrid would love.

The 26-year-old is an absolute engine for Celtic on the flanks and a key reason why the club have stacked up the trophies since his arrival in 2022.

The likes of Kyogo Furuhashi might get the headlines for his consistent goalscoring or even Reo Hatate for the magic he provides from the middle of the park.

But it’s fair to say that Daizen Maeda does go under the radar, at times, with Bhoys legend Peter Grant labelling him an ‘excellent’ player and perfect for Atletico Madrid’s system, as he told the Official Celtic FC Podcast. 

The 26-year-old scored 11 goals and assisted seven during the Treble campaign under Ange Postecoglou and he has two goals and three assists this term (transfermarkt).

The hope is that he can elevate that part of his game this season under Brendan Rodgers because if he does that, then he will head near the top of the list of importance to the team.

Daizen Maeda the ‘£100 million’ player….

“The biggest compliment I can pay is that Atletico Madrid like that sort of player,” said Grant. “Someone that works so hard, works as a team player because that’s what Atletico Madrid has built their success on.

“But Maeda has been excellent. People always say his final ball at times and obviously chances he misses at times. But if he had all these things, he’d be worth £100m.”

Daizen Maeda a victim of his own success

Sometimes, you would like Maeda to just calm things down a little, be more selfish and work less to improve his own individual numbers.

But that’s what makes him great and such a crowd favourite, he sacrifices too much of his own game, in order to enhance the team.

If he did apply that simplicity, then there is no doubt that his numbers in the final third would increase.

But after scoring eight goals in the league last season, the hope is that he can hit double figures under Rodgers this time around because he has a real chance to do so.