True to his word, Ange Postecoglou has not messed around bringing in the three players we wants from the J-League and on the eve of the January transfer window opening Celtic have today confirmed the signings of Japanese international stars Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate!
Ange has also gone out of his way to praise Celtic’s new CEO Michael Nicholson for his work over the last few months bringing these complicated transfers together and certainly that praise seems well founded for a man who has been short of that commodity coming his way from the Celtic Support since taking over the role after Dom McKay left after just 72 days at the club.
If Nicholson is supporting his manager and players are arriving ahead of the window actually opening then that is a massively welcome change from the days when Peter Lawwell would be desperately looking for last minute loan deals and project signings.
These three signings are known to Ange, have real pedigree and if his judgement is as good when it comes to J-League stars as it was in the summer when he signed Kyogo then Celtic has been significantly improved on the playing side. There will be delight everywhere along the Celtic family but down river, you’ll be able to smell the fear.
Welcome to Celtic Daizen, Ideguchi and Reo.
We have an article on Reo Hatate up next on The Celtic Star…
3️⃣ 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 ✨
Welcome our new #JapaneseBhoys! 🇯🇵🍀🤝
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 31, 2021
Celtic delighted to welcome three new signings
18 minutes ago
Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of three exciting new players from the Japanese J League. Daizen Maeda from Yokohama F. Marinos, Yosuke Ideguchi from Gamba Osaka and Reo Hatate from Kawasaki Frontale will all be registered with Celtic in early January, subject to the usual conditions and international clearance.
DAIZEN MAEDA
The 24-year-old forward is reuniting with Ange Postecoglou at Celtic, having previously played under the manager at Yokohama F. Marinos. He had originally joined Yokohama F. Marinos on loan in August 2020 following a previous loan spell with Maritimo in the Portuguese league, and by the end of the season had impressed Ange Postecoglou enough that the deal became a permanent one. And in the 2021 season, Daizen Maeda was joint top scorer in the J-League with 23 goals as Yokohama F. Marinos finished second and qualified for the AFC Champions League. He was also named in the J-League Best XI of the 2021 season and has been capped twice for the Japan national side. Daizen will join Celtic initially on loan but with a compulsory purchase clause included, meaning he will be with Celtic on a permanent basis from the summer on a long-term deal.
YOSUKE IDEGUCHI
The 25-year-old midfielder began his career with Gamba Osaka, having come through their youth academy, and made his first-team debut in 2014. He spent a further four years with the club, winning the prestigious J-League ‘Rookie of the Year’ award in 2016, and it is from the same club that he joins Celtic, having re-signed for them back in 2019. In the intervening period, Yosuke Udeguchi joined Leeds United, before going out on loan, first to Cultural Leonesa in Spain and then Greuther Fürth in Germany. Yosuke Ideguchi has also been capped 15 times for Japan, scoring two goals for his country. He joins Celtic Football club on a four and a half year contract
REO HATATE
The versatile 24-year-old, who can play in a number of position, joins Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale, having helped them win the J-League for the second successive year. He was also named in the J-League Best XI of the 2021 season alongside his new Celtic team-mate, Daizen Maeda. Reo Hatate was also selected to represent Japan at the recent Olympic Games, held in the summer in Japan. And he helped his country reach the last four of the tournament, though they lost out in the bronze medal match to Mexico. Reo will also be joining Celtic on a 4 and a half year contract.
It is hoped all players will be joining up with the Celtic squad across the next few days.
A delighted Celtic manager, Ange Postecoglou, said: “We are really pleased to bring in these guys to Celtic and I think they are players who will excite our fans.
“Clearly I am well aware of their attributes and I think in bringing all three to the club we are bringing even more quality, personality and energy to the squad to work with the players who have done so well for us already this season.
“They are all really at the peak of their careers, ambitious to achieve more success and I am sure at this particular time we will be getting their best years. I am delighted to have secured these players so early in the transfer window, I look forward to working with them and myself, my backroom team and the rest of the squad will be making sure we help them settle into Celtic as quickly as possible.”
Everyone at Celtic joins Ange in welcoming these new players to the Club.
Celtic have now confirmed all 3 of their J-League targets will sign in Jan.
Daizen Maeda joins on loan, with an obligation to buy for £1.6m in the summer.
Yosuke Ideguchi arrives on a four-and-half-year deal for £835,000.
And Reo Hatate will also sign for the same length.
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) December 31, 2021
