Four Premier League clubs reportedly have “intense interest” in Celtic’s Daizen Maeda.
Maeda’s Japan have been eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 32 by Brazil, and his next priority is expected to be his club future
After four-and-a-half years in Glasgow, the 28-year-old has established himself as a modern club legend. His Celtic record now reads: 212 appearances, ten trophies and 80 goals.
Maeda has publicly stated his desire to play in the Premier League, and Brentford could offer the perfect route – though they aren’t his only options.
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Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Everton have ‘intense interest’ in £15-20m Daizen Maeda
According to Puribets via The Chosun in Japan, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Everton are all in contention for the Celtic hero.
They add that Brentford are his most likely destination.
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The Bees have been linked with Maeda in each of the last three transfer windows; his sprinting numbers will no doubt appeal to their data-led approach.
Spearheaded by the form of Igor Thiago as they secured a top-half finish last season, they are still short on attacking options ahead of the new campaign.
Benjamin Arthur, who earned plaudits in his performances on loan from the West London club at Celtic last season, could potentially be a makeweight in any deal.
Forest and Fulham have both also been linked with Arne Engels, who has interest across Europe. They have both recently changed manager, hiring Oliver Glasner and Alvaro Arbeloa respectively.
Maeda came close to leaving Celtic last summer, reportedly even clearing his belongings from Lennoxtown ahead of a proposed move to Wolfsburg.
After a slow start to the campaign, he went on to be the main character of the season’s run-in with nine goals in the final seven games.
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Daizen Maeda: ‘I need to make another step forward’
Via Sky Sports News, Maeda said after the defeat: “I personally feel that I need to keep improving and take another step forward.
“It made me realise that I can’t stay at my current level and that I need to become a better player.”
On the game itself, he said: “We fought a great game, but the opponent was strong and I think we still have a long way to go.
“Of course we had the feeling that we could do it, but Brazil is just so skilled and powerful and we ended up spending a lot of time defending.
“I think it was just a matter of time before they scored, to be honest — but what we’ve done up until now remains unchanged.
“I want to return to Japan with my head held high.”
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