It’s certainly been a day for transfer talk for Celtic supporters.
With Jamie Vardy to Celtic chatter heating up as well as young Colby Donovan’s Parkhead future in doubt, today’s news cycle has been extremely serious for the Hoops support.
However, if there is one transfer rumour Celtic fans don’t want to hear it’s about Japanese winger Daizen Maeda.
67 Hail Hail debunked rumours surrounding Maeda leaving Celtic for Brentford earlier this week but Charlie Mulgrew reckons he knows who started it with a tongue-in-cheek wind-up of former Rangers manager Barry Ferguson.
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Charlie Mulgrew winds up Barry Ferguson about Celtic hero Daizen Maeda
Speaking about Maeda possibly leaving Celtic, Mulgrew said that is a transfer the club simply cannot allow to happen.
And in his stride, the former Celtic defender superbly wound up Ferguson as he gave his take on the Maeda chatter.
Mulgrew said on The Go Radio Football Show [31m 30s], “Ah, that’d be a sore one. They would need to get at least two in the door the minute he leaves or just before he leaves.
“And even at that, I just think you don’t want to start doing that. I think he’s too important a player.”
Ferguson: “He was [outstanding last season] and he was even better through the middle. There was a lot of talk he couldn’t play through there, but listen, he showed it with his performances that he certainly could.
“He certainly could. I just think if Celtic lost him towards the end of the window, I don’t think they could replace him.”
Mulgrew: “I think it’s Tavernier that started the rumours, isn’t it?”
Paul Cooney [laughing]: “Probably. Or there’s an R Martin that started it as well or a B Ferguson.”
Ferguson: “Listen, I have no issue. I would like to think a Premier League club would come in and bid.”
Mulgrew: “Tavernier said he’s going to drive him to the airport.”
Ferguson: “I’ll drive him.”
The funny thing is, Tavernier would be delighted if Maeda left Celtic considering the amount of pain he has put on the Rangers captain over the years.
Daizen Maeda’s Celtic contract
Maeda’s contract still has two years left to run and, as yet, there has been no update on whether it will be extended.
The Japanese winger has proven his importance to Celtic over a number of seasons now and it would be folly if the Parkhead club didn’t get him to extend his current deal.
Maeda is happy at Celtic and with life in Scotland so making him one of the highest paid players at the club just makes sense.
Whether Celtic will do that remains to be seen but if they don’t and he leaves, that could be a transfer the club could take years to recover from.
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