Make no mistake, the news that Celtic signed up Kyogo Furuhashi to a contract until 2027 was a massive statement of intent from the club. Rumours and reports have been flying around the Japanese talent for months and all of that definitely ramped up when Ange Postecoglou left the club.
Kyogo and the former Celtic boss had as strong a relationship as the Australian has with anyone in football. His talismanic presence in the Bhoys attack helped deliver trophy after trophy over the last two years. It felt inevitable that cash-rich clubs, even potentially Spurs, would come in for him.
But signing the 28-year-old up for his peak footballing years sends a message that this team isn’t about to be broken up. Kyogo is the best player in Scotland and we’ve retained his services. It was unlikely to have been cheap either, given his market value.
That it came in the immediate aftermath of Jota’s big transfer to Al-Ittihad made it all the more important. Nervousness was beginning to creep into sections of the Celtic support and everyone needed a good news boost. Following it up with Daizen Maeda’s similar commitment was welcome, too. And surely the club’s next big box office announcement isn’t far away?
Celtic have already added two players to the squad and their arrivals look positive. Odin Thiago Holm had been one of the best talents in the Norwegian leagues, while Marco Tilio was drawing similar buzz in Australia. However, neither of them seems to be the kind of game-changing signing that immediately improve this squad for another tilt at the UEFA Champions League.
With the serious work of pre-season really starting over the next few days with the return of our international talents and the club’s trip to Portugal, those big transfers are hopefully just around the corner. Rodgers will want targets in the door as quickly as possible. Nobody can be playing catch-up when the competitive action starts in less than a month’s time.
There’s been a surprising lack of reports about potential additions. Rumours have been limited to social media and forums for the most part. But that’s no indication these days. Kyogo Furuhashi’s initial arrival came like a bolt from the blue early one morning in 2021, while other additions have come without much pre-warning in the press.
The next seven days will hopefully be an exciting week for the club. It’s time to get the ball rolling on spending the kind of cash that allows the Bhoys to push on from a position of strength.
Celtic will be seriously tested on all fronts next term but with the club’s resources, a top manager in place and the retention of key talents, there’s every chance of more success.
In other news, Celtic confirm exit of 19-year-old talent to Championship side.
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