Daizen Maeda states what Kyogo Furuhashi has left at Celtic after surprise transfer to Rennes

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Daizen Maeda is producing the best football of his career right now since moving to Celtic in 2022.

The all-action forward was one of many players brought in from Japan by Ange Postecoglou and many of them have gone on to become Celtic legends.

One of the most iconic figures alongside Maeda was the recently departed Kyogo Furuhashi following his January transfer to Rennes.

Kyogo lit up the Glasgow scene with his incredible goalscoring record that saw many suggest he has been the best striker since Henrik Larsson.

That’s some legacy to build and it was very much deserved for the 30-year-old, but during the winter transfer window, he headed for the exit door, on 85 Celtic goals, and joined a relegation-threatened side in France.

Celtic didn’t help themselves because they didn’t replace Kyogo, but it has probably worked out because Maeda has now made that central area his own.

• READ MORE: Daizen Maeda’s latest comments should seriously worry Celtic fans

Daizen Maeda on Kyogo Furuhashi’s Celtic exit

Maeda has gone to another level since Kyogo’s exit, but he was keen to stress that it hasn’t been all about him.

The 27-year-old stated that, when his fellow countryman left, ‘the rest of the players had to fill the gap’ and that’s why the team is now on course for the Treble.

But Maeda also wanted to make it clear that what Kyogo has left on the doorstep of Celtic Park is ‘massive’, as he told Sky Sports Football (16/05/24 at 11:55 am).

“I haven’t been told anything really,” said Maeda on if Rodgers told him anything about Kyogo leaving. “But what he has left here is massive.

“We, not just me, the rest of the players had to fill the gap and that’s why our performance has been like this and we are in really great form just now.”

Kyogo’s overall stats at Celtic and difficult start to life at Rennes

The big shame about Kyogo leaving is the fact that he didn’t score 100 goals for the club because his quality and performance deserved it.

He wouldn’t have reached that feat this season, but he certainly would have hit that mark next term had he stayed on.

But, since moving to Rennes, life has been rather difficult for Kyogo and things weren’t helped by the fact that the man who brought him in – Jorge Sampaoli – was sacked days later.

Forget about Kyogo waiting for that first goal, he is struggling to earn minutes right now.