Celtic Receive Double Deadline-day Blow In Pursuit Of Kyogo’s Successor: Why There Is No Need To Panic Yet | OneFootball

Despite Kyogo Furuhashi’s £10m transfer to Rennes, Celtic failed to bring in a like-for-like replacement before last Monday’s deadline. They suffered a double blow while pursuing Brondy centre-forward Mathias Kvistgaarden and the Slovan Bratislava ‘number 9′ David Strelec, the football director of the Danish side Benjamin Schmedes and the Sky Blues’ boss Vladimir Weiss have respectively confirmed.

Strelec’s father was keen on the move, however, a conflict in valuation between the Celts and the Slovak outfit led to a transfer breakdown. Middlesbrough were also eager to have him in their ranks for the promotion push. But it did not materialise either.

Weiss was brutal before his side’s weekend clash with MFK Ruzomberok.

Kvistgaarden, the other long-term target, would have cost them £13.5m. The Hoops opted against a late swoop but might return for him in the summer. Schmedes, for now, has managed to keep hold of their 22-year-old talisman.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – FEBRUARY 13: Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates after scoring their side’s third goal during the Scottish Cup match between Celtic and Raith Rovers at Celtic Park on February 13, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Former Celtic star Chris Sutton has labelled this an ‘unnecessary risk’ with some crucial fixtures scheduled at home and in Europe. Brendan Rodgers understands fans’ frustration with the lack of transfer activities and has admitted that they wanted another striker after Kyogo’s egress.

Why Celtic Have A Lethal Weapon To Deal With Kyogo’s Departure

Meanwhile, the Northern Irish boss has focused on coaching and hard work to stretch the success story over the next few months. Jota’s return has bolstered them down the wide, which could see Daizen Maeda shifting in the middle as a centre-forward.

The Japanese ace is in blistering scoring form as he notched a hat-trick against Raith Rovers on Saturday evening while spearheading the attack. He used to lead the line during his Yokohama F. Marinos days but was deployed down the left by former chief Ange Postecoglou to incorporate Kyogo upfront.

With 21 goals and 8 assists in 34 outings [stats via Transfermarket] across competitions, Maeda could give Adam Idah a run for his money with the latter thought to be the undisputed ‘number 9’ for the rest of the season. Young Johnny Kenny could flourish as the understudy to Idah, however, Maeda’s form and flexibility across the frontline could play a crucial role in shaping their success.