Celtic cannot wait for Alistair Johnston to leave before looking for his successor. They should be identifying that player now, while the Canadian remains their first-choice right-back.
Johnston is contracted until 2029, which gives Celtic time to get this right. But as the Celtic defender’s World Cup puts him in the media glare, Celtic must be thinking about interest in their star.
Celtic have done this well in Japan before. Kyogo Furuhashi arrived directly from Vissel Kobe before Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate followed from the J League months later.
Futa Takeno is the kind of player Celtic should be looking at. The 17-year-old Kamimura Gakuen captain has already spent time with Ajax and could learn behind Johnston without being expected to replace him immediately.
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Why Futa Takeno should be on Celtic’s radar
“I want to win a contract,” Takeno said before travelling to Amsterdam in January. Ajax put him into their Under-19 programme, and used him in a friendly against De Graafschap.
No Ajax offer was announced, but Takeno returned to Japan with experience of the demands placed on young players in Amsterdam.
Takeno stands 182cm, just under six feet tall, attacks from right-back and names crossing as his main weapon.
Kamimura have also used him at centre-back and on the right of a back three. His heading and one-against-one defending still require work, so he should be viewed as a long-term signing rather than competition for Johnston next season.
Celtic cannot lose their Japanese recruitment edge
Celtic’s best business in Japan was completed before those players had proved themselves in Europe. Kyogo, Maeda and Hatate arrived because the club acted early and signed unknown players from the region.
Takeno has already played for Japan at the Under-17 World Cup and trained inside Ajax’s academy. Celtic should be deciding whether they can develop him before another European club makes that decision for them.
Johnston’s contract gives Celtic time to act without weakening the first team. Waiting until Takeno has signed elsewhere would mean watching another club make the early move Celtic once made so successfully in Japan.
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