‘Wouldn’t be surprised’ – Why ‘terrific’ Ange Postecoglou signing is tipped for Celtic summer exit

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Celtic have yet to announce their first summer signing after negotiating the exit of two fringe players in January.

Stephen Welsh left the Hoops to join KV Mechelen on loan as Odin Thiago Holm’s Celtic exit saw the Norwegian make a temporary move to the MLS with LAFC.

With no incoming as yet, the majority of the rumour surrounding Celtic are about players leaving the club in search of first-team football.

However, a talismanic Hoops star is being tipped to leave the club in the summer due to Brendan Rodgers having a preference for the type of player fans have seen the Celtic manager sign during his first tenure at the club.

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Andy Walker says Brendan Rodgers’ player preference could see Kyogo Furuhashi leave Celtic

Speaking about the speculation surrounding Kyogo Furuhashi’s Celtic future, the Japanese striker is being tipped for summer exit by Andy Walker.

Walker told The Go Radio Football Show [29m], “He’ll be one of those players that will probably be sold for a profit, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s this summer.

“I don’t see any sort of movement in this window that we’re in at the moment. Celtic have got Champions League to go for. That’s the big thing that kicks in in just a matter of days.

“So, yeah, and I think when you look at the way Brendan Rodgers has played with all of his teams, the two wide players, the one striker, the one striker through the middle, the focal point of the attack tends to be, I don’t know, bigger, more physical, when you think of Odsonne Edouard when you think of Moussa Dembélé, that type of player.”

Andy Walker says Celtic have a ‘number of options’ to replace Kyogo after ‘profit’ making sale

“Kyogo has obviously shown, despite his relatively small frame, his movement is terrific,” continued Walker, “His one-touch finishing is superb, his knack of scoring big goals, he’s got so many goals against Rangers, he’s got so many goals at Hampden.

“But you just wouldn’t be surprised if he moved on because that is the type of club that Celtic are. They tend to get a good few years out of players and they tend to sell them at a good time for a bit of profit.

“And no doubt there will be a number of other options who will be ready-made replacements.”

Kyogo has scored 85 goals in 167 appearances for Celtic since he made his big move to the Scottish Champions under Ange Postecoglou.

However, under Rodgers, the Japanese striker has been less prolific as the Celtic boss admits that he doesn’t just rely on his strikers to get his goals.

Walker does have a good point. Rodgers does like a physical striker and with the purchase of Adam Idah, maybe the Celtic manager already has his contingency plan in place.