Kyogo Furuhashi is back to scoring goals for Celtic after recent transfer speculation.
The Japanese striker was at the centre of a bizarre Celtic transfer exit story after the MLS mistakenly announced he had signed for Atlanta United.
As it happened, Atlanta had signed another Japanese player and the mistake forced the MLS to apologise to the Celtic over the Kyogo confusion weekend.
Brendan Rodgers addressed the Kyogo rumours over the weekend and today, the Celtic manager clarified how the talismanic striker is doing ahead of the Parkhead club’s trip to Dundee tomorrow night.
Brendan Rodgers rejects rumours surrounding Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi
Rodgers told Superscoreboard, “I can see him on a daily basis, it’s people will always look into something. You know, he didn’t celebrate enough where he didn’t do this, or he didn’t do that. So I see him every day.
“I see his work, I see his intensity and maybe he scores so much that he doesn’t really have to celebrate madly all the time or maybe he was too cold.
“But no, he’s just the same guy but I’m not scared of the speculation and gossip. So there’ll always be wee bits and pieces around him, but he’s fine and will travel tomorrow.”
Brendan Rodgers delivers blunt transfer message Celtic’s players
Brendan Rodgers was in no mood to entertain the possibility that any of his players actively wanted to leave Celtic, but if there were any, the Hoops gaffer delivered a message to them.
“I think the biggest thing is,” Rodgers continued, “If a player doesn’t want to be here, then go. And then it’s at that point, then the club has to get the best possible deal. I don’t ever see the point of keeping someone who doesn’t want to be here.
“But I think for us, it’s all eventualities and that’s what we prepare for, whether it’s injuries, whether it’s transfers, I think you just have to always be ready and that’s our message.
“But for him, at this moment in time, he’s happy, he’s working well, scoring goals and enjoying his football.”
Celtic captain Callum McGregor has already clarified how Kyogo is feeling at the club since the speculation linking the Hoops hero to Atlanta United broke last week.
So by all accounts, it seems that the 29-year-old striker is still happy at Celtic and long may that continue because as Kyogo proved in the Bhoys’ win over Ross County at the weekend
With over two years left on his current deal, if Kyogo does want to leave then Celtic are firmly in the driving seat when it comes to sitting around the negotiating table.
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