Most of the Celtic first-team returned to pre-season training at Lennoxtown last week.
Callum McGregor was eager to get back to work, while some Celtic outcasts who reported back know their futures lie elsewhere.
Many players are yet to come back, including Daizen Maeda. He has been enjoying an extended break after an unbelievable 2024/25 campaign in front of goal.
And it’s been revealed by the man himself that he returned to his old club Mito HollyHock in Japan to prepare for his return to Celtic this summer.
Maeda unsure ‘what new season will bring’
Maeda played for Mito HollyHock on loan across 2017 and was a huge success for the club, scoring 13 goals in 36 league games.
He told Japanese media, via the Daily Record, that he was keen to reach a certain fitness level before coming back to Lennoxtown.
Perhaps more crucially, Maeda touched on next season and admitted that he isn’t sure what the 2025/26 campaign will hold for him.
67 Hail Hail revealed Brentford have Maeda on their transfer radar, while there was talk of Fenerbahce preparing a bid for the 27-year-old.
Maeda said: “I was able to train in a great environment with a good team (Mito HollyHock) who are currently at the top of the league (J2 League).
“I don’t know what the new season will bring for me, but first, I want to get in shape at their training camp. I felt ok, but I think I still have a long way to go.
“It was an enjoyable session. Mito are a great team and there is a good atmosphere in the camp. I really hope they win promotion.”
Fenerbahce sign Jhon Duran on loan
All Celtic fans want to hear from Maeda is that he is 100 percent staying with the club, or an announcement that he’s signed a new contract.
However, on a more positive note, Fenerbahce may be cooling their interest in Maeda with the signing of Jhon Duran on a loan deal.
Duran left Aston Villa for Al-Nassr last season and has now been added to Jose Mourinho’s squad in Turkey for the new season.
Duran is a striker and it may mean Maeda has been removed from their transfer shortlist this summer, if indeed he was actually on it.
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