Celtic are clear of the chasing pack in the Scottish Premiership and in the hunt for a playoff place in the UEFA Champions League. However, the club has committed to a swap with Rennes that shakes up their offensive roster as they lose Kyogo Furuhashi. Fabrizio Romano has shared the details of this transfer activity.
Celtic to Swap Kyogo Furuhashi for Former-Star Jota
Jota returns to Celtic
Kyogo Furuhashi is about to leave Celtic and join Rennes for a fee of over £8.4 million. At the same time, the Scottish league leaders will receive Jota for a similar fee with an extra 10% sell-on clause.
Furuhashi has been the top scorer for the Hoops in his three full campaigns at the club. He holds onto that status in the league and fans might have feared for the rest of their season without their striker.
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However, Jota is a familiar face for the fans. He was a teammate of Furuhashi for two years under Ange Postecoglou before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023. His stint at Al-Ittihad was short-lived and he has been on the periphery at Rennes, scoring only one goal in ten matches.
Celtic Swap a Prized Asset in Kyogo Furuhashi
These types of trades are a rarity in the transfer market. But this transfer activity— for an extremely modest fee— appears to be a matter of convenience that could suit the ends of both clubs involved.
Rennes, a top-six side in Ligue 1 for five of the last seven years, have had a difficult time this season. They are fifth from the bottom of the table and have only scored 24 goals in their first 18 fixtures.
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Jorge Sampaoli, the team’s leader in the dugout, took over from the former manager in November to try and sort out this mess. He is already eager to try and integrate Furuhashi as a part of his plans.
Sampaoli said of the striker: “If [the deal happens quickly], maybe he could play a few minutes. We expect a lot from him because he is a player who can help us a lot and, in particular, give us depth.”
Should Celtic be Concerned?
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd is among the sceptics who question the wisdom of letting go of guaranteed goals, believing this decision “would worry the fans.” However, this is nothing new for Celtic. The club do not fear parting ways with big players for a suitable fee, and their dominance allows more room for error in a worst-case scenario.
Read more: The Gap Between Celtic and the Rest Has Never Been So Great
In equal measure, Brendan Rodgers, their manager, refuses to cling to any players who do not want to commit to the club. In response to earlier rumours of this move, Rodgers said that, “I think the biggest thing is if a player doesn’t want to be here, then go, and then it’s at that point, then the club has to get the best possible deal. So I don’t ever see the point of keeping someone who doesn’t want to be here.”
Sky Sports have suggested Furuhashi is keen to transfer to a top-five European league before his playing days are over. Their business model will not break to keep him captive to the club, and if Jota can capture hearts for the Hoops, then the risk is worth taking before the striker’s value falls for good.
