There is still a debate to be had over who actually was the best signing of the Ange Postecoglou era at Celtic, with Daizen Maeda enhancing his legacy even further with his end-of-season heroics last time out.
And yet, Kyogo Furuhashi certainly has reason to be considered the most important capture of the Aussie’s reign, not least as he was the first man in the door in 2021.
The striker’s £4.6m arrival from Vissel Kobe set the tone for this brave new world under Postecoglou’s watch, the prolific striker having been the figurehead for this relentless, breathtaking brand of football.
Kyogo’s importance has also been felt amid the struggle to replace him over the last 18 months or so, with that exit in January 2025 not exactly going to plan for anyone.
Why Celtic were right not to re-sign Kyogo this summer
It doesn’t need saying that Kyogo is a true cult hero at Parkhead, one of the most impactful players the club has seen in the post-Henrik Larsson era.
85 goals in just 165 games says it all in truth, with the Japanese marksman proving a particular thorn in the side of Rangers, scoring eight times in 17 meetings with the Ibrox side.
To lose such a figure mid-season, ahead of that Champions League tussle with Bayern Munich, was such a blow, with the £10 man ultimately going on to endure a goalless six-month stint at Rennes.
Now on the books at LA Galaxy, after netting just one league goal last season for Birmingham City, there had been whispers that the striker might even end back in Glasgow, with Celtic potentially set to replace Kyogo by signing… Kyogo.
That topic was first floated in January, while speculation again grew prior to his move to MLS, albeit with Kasper Hogh having since been snapped up to ease the club’s centre-forward woes.
|
Kyogo – 25/26 Championship Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat (*per game) |
Record |
|
Games (starts) |
28 (8) |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Mins per goal |
1019 |
|
Big chances missed |
12 |
|
Goal conversion |
3% |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Key passes* |
0.2 |
|
Touches* |
8.6 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.1 |
Perhaps, that is the best outcome, with the Parkhead hierarchy needing to look beyond merely bringing back former stars, having seen the reunion with Jota blow up in their face over the last 18 months.
Kyogo’s fine legacy can remain intact, therefore, remaining that real symbol of Postecoglou’s stellar two-year stint in charge. Martin O’Neill could now do with his own statement move this summer.
Why big-money Celtic target could be O’Neill’s own Kyogo signing
The champions have forked out a total sum of almost £17m to bring Hogh and Camilo Duran to Parkhead, the pair still the only two summer arrivals since O’Neill was announced as the next permanent manager.
It wasn’t necessarily the most successful first outing for either man on Monday night against Dundee, with Hogh notably squandering a handful of chances, having also failed to make it stick in that number nine berth.
Perhaps Frosinone’s Fares Ghedjemis could make a more instant impact, in a similar mould to Kyogo, with the Algerian currently at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between Celtic and Rangers.
As per Football Insider, however, it is the Hoops who are currently ahead of Derek McInnes’ side in the race for his signature, deemed to be the ‘most likely’ club to tempt him into moving to Scotland.
That’s not to say that there isn’t also rival interest from abroad, with this expected to be a ‘difficult’ deal to do, with a fee of £10m+ likely to be needed after the Gers’ prior £8m bid was thrown out.
That would be a hefty sum alright, but such a valuation isn’t without merit, with Ghedjemis notably earning comparisons to his Algerian colleague, Riyad Mahrez, due to his game-changing quality on that right flank.
Much like Kyogo under Postecoglou, Ghedjemis could prove to be the real figurehead of O’Neill’s side moving forward, if a deal can be struck, with the 23-year-old fresh from a stellar season in Serie B.
The left-footer earned his place in Algeria’s World Cup squad after scoring 15 times in Italy’s second tier, alongside registering three assists, having also created 11 ‘big chances’ from his right-wing berth.
He ultimately ranked ninth in the division for that latter metric, as well as finishing tenth in terms of key passes completed. As for total successful dribbles completed, Ghedjemis ranked second in that regard, while also finishing third in terms of goals scored.
He’s a real all-rounder, a perfect mix of creativity, flair and goalscoring prowess, the type of player who could well be an instant hit at Parkhead, just like Kyogo and co before him.
It’s early days, of course, yet Hogh’s game is likely to be centred purely around goalscoring, while Duran might potentially be just as much of an asset out of possession as he is in possession.
Ghedjemis, therefore, might be the real game-changer, the true marquee signing of this window so far for O’Neill and co.
You wouldn’t bet against him hitting the ground running if a deal can be agreed, with this likely to be the perfect way to head into the looming Champions League playoff tie with LASK Linz. Can Celtic get it done?
