Celtic want to sign Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura.
Both The Herald and Sky Sports have reported that the Hoops have entered into talks with the J1 League side, with negotiations said to be progressing smoothly.
Inamura is a left-footed central defender and it is said that he is keen on joining the Scottish Premiership champions this summer.
However, Inamura’s defensive stats this season are not exactly encouraging, which makes sense given Albirex Niigata are currently in the relegation zone.
Celtic fans appear to be divided over him as a result, with the biggest concern his height of 182 cm. Now, Inamura has directly addressed the transfer talks with Celtic for the first time.
Inamura addresses ongoing Celtic transfer talks
Nikkan Sports have published a short interview with Inamura where he speaks directly about the current negotiations between Albirex Niigata and the Hoops.
The 23-year-old said: “We are leaving the negotiations to the clubs themselves, so we are not at the stage where we can talk about whether we will go or not.
“Right now, all we want to do is make good preparations for our next match against Fukuoka.
“I think it will be a high-intensity game. If they try to steal the ball with high pressure, the return will be big if you can avoid it.
“I want to take some risks and be conscious of balls that go directly to the goal.”
Inamura’s 2025 stats for Albirex Niigata so far
The J1 League season has just passed the halfway point given their teams compete from February to December.
Niigata are struggling in third bottom at the moment with just four league wins from 19 games played so far this year.
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | 2nd Yellow | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J1 League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1,104′ |
| Emperor’s Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1′ |
| Total 2025 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1,105′ |
Inamura has played in 13 of those matches and has one assist to his name. He’s played 1,105 minutes of football overall across 2025.
Niigata have 19 more games to secure survival, although they may have to do that without Inamura if he joins Celtic before September.
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