Daizen Maeda is reportedly closing in on a £10 million move to Ipswich Town.
In a move which has progressed rapidly over the last few days, the Celtic hero looks finally set to get his desired Premier League move.
Ipswich is perhaps a surprise destination for Maeda, who has been linked with several more established Premier League clubs in recent months.
Many Hoops fans would judge the £10 million price as an absolute bargain for a player with the proven qualities of Maeda.
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Ipswich reach ‘agreement in principle’ for £10 million Daizen Maeda deal
Ryan McDonald of the Daily Record reports that talks are at an advanced stage over an £8 million deal rising to £10m with add-ons.
Discussions have reportedly progressed rapidly over the last 24 hours.
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Maeda looks unlikely to return to Lennoxtown at all, having had his summer break extended due to his World Cup efforts with Japan.
He now looks set to become the Celts’ first high-profile export to the Premier League since Matt O’Riley to Brighton two years ago.
Newly-promoted to the English top-flight, Ipswich lost Celtic-linked boss Kieran McKenna over the summer, replacing him with Gary O’Neil.
They have already smashed their record transfer this summer to bring Brazilian striker Emersonn to the club from Toulouse in a £26.5 million deal.
Maeda came close to leaving Celtic last summer, reportedly even clearing his belongings from Lennoxtown ahead of a proposed move to Wolfsburg.
A year later, his wish now looks set to be granted in the shape of a move to Portman Road.
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Daizen Maeda: ‘I need to make another step forward’
Via Sky Sports News, Maeda said after Japan’s exit from the World Cup: “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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