As Celtic prepare for a pivotal summer rebuild, former Hoops hero Kyogo Furuhashi has escaped his French frustrations by returning to Japan though his future in European football remains clouded in uncertainty….
The 30-year-old striker has endured a torrid time since his £10 million move to Stade Rennais FC, where his dream of succeeding in Ligue 1 quickly turned into a nightmare. Kyogo Furuhashi failed to score a single goal in his four months in France and was regularly left out of the match-day squad during the final stretch of the season. Rennes boss Habib Beye has hinted that serious discussions lie ahead, raising the prospect of an early exit for the former Hoops talisman.
French reports suggest Rennes may look to offload Kyogo Furuhashi in a cut-price deal this summer, just four months after making him their marquee attacking signing and that news has alerted English Premier League side Bournemouth.
Despite his struggles on the pitch, the Japanese international has remained relaxed in the public eye, enjoying his off-season back home in Japan.
🏴 | Recruté puis mis de côté l’hiver ❄️ dernier par le Stade Rennais 🇫🇷 en Ligue 1, l’Attaquant international Japonais 🇯🇵, Kyogo Furuhashi (30 ans) intéresserait l’AFC Bournemouth 🏴 en Premier League.
🗞️ | https://t.co/uMRPggmnyJ pic.twitter.com/Z8TTfcsWJJ
— 🇯🇵 J.League France 🇫🇷 (@JLeagueFra) May 28, 2025
Kyogo Furuhashi made a rare appearance this week at a V-Varen Nagasaki match, where he was seen catching up with former Vissel Kobe teammate Hotaru Yamaguchi. Speaking to Japanese outlet >Excite and reported by the DailyRecord, he appeared relaxed, saying: “I was happy to get to meet someone I wanted to see while on the off-season, and I was looking forward to seeing him play. I’ll do my best, too, when I am back playing in pre-season.”
With Kyogo’s struggles abroad and the Hoops eager to sharpen their attacking options, the upcoming transfer window looks set to bring major changes in terms of arrivals and departures. Whether Kyogo can revive his fortunes in France or become an unexpected candidate for a return to Celtic remains to be seen but the smart money is on him joining up with his former Celtic teammate – for a few games only – Ryan Christie at Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, Celtic themselves are on the hunt for striking reinforcements. Following their Scottish Cup final defeat, speculation has intensified around potential targets, with reports naming former Ajax youth forward Soufiane El Kachati and there was even a suggestion that an offer could be made for ex-England international Danny Ings. That hardly sounds remotely likely but this is the time when all sorts of crazy stories start to appear.
Kyogo £10m deal highlights Celtic’s successful strategy. Full story in comments… pic.twitter.com/JKjSirrxwK
— The Celtic Star News Feed (@CelticStarMag) March 20, 2025
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Kyogo left for his own personal reasons. We wished him all the best but I personally don’t want him back. We move on and upwards.