When Kyogo Furuhashi joined Celtic in 2021, few would have recognized the name.
His then manager, Ange Postecoglou, said the Japan international would add “something special” to the squad. He wasn't wrong.
Just under four years later, Kyogo leaves as a fan favorite. He has been the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership since moving to the league. Moreover, he has won eight major awards in three and a half seasons.
The 30-year-old signed a new four-year contract with the club in 2023, with boss Brendan Rodgers describing him as an “exciting” and “important” player. That new contract was signed a day after Jota left the club for Saudi Arabia, but could he instead return to the club from Rennes and fill the void left by Kyogo?
Will Kyogo be missed?
The simple answer is yes. He scores goals, stretches the defense to create space for his teammates to score and is neat on the ball.
He has scored 85 goals in all competitions, plus 19 assists, but there is much more to those figures.
A total of 56 of those goals were scored in the league, a figure that no other player in the Scottish Premiership could match during that period. Surprisingly, the forward – who stands just 6ft tall – scored 12 headers, also a record high during his time in Glasgow.
He topped the league charts in shots on goal and fast breaks. In addition, more than 17 percent of Celtic's goals since the summer of 2021 have come through the forward. For context, Matt O'Riley and Daizen Maeda were second on that list for the Hoops – 10 percent further behind.
How will Celtic replace him?
The simple answer could be a name that Celtic fans are familiar with. Jota.
He left Celtic for a £25million move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad in 2023, but things never really worked out for the 25-year-old. Off-the-field problems saw the Portuguese player leave after a year to join Rennes.
However, that hasn't gone to plan either as Jota has only made nine league appearances in France and now the clubs are in talks to move the player in the opposite direction to Kyogo.
He scored 15 goals and provided 12 assists during his final season at Celtic as they won a domestic treble. He loves the club and the fans love him. While he may not be a direct replacement for Kyogo, Rodgers has no shortage of options in that central area now that Adam Idah is back at the club and Daizen Maeda can fill that role as well.
Furthermore, there is little doubt that supporters would love to see 'Jota on the wing' at Celtic Park again.
Celtic are keeping Barry in talks with Villa, but the club are reluctant to sell
Latest news from Anthony Joseph and Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports News:
Celtic have held initial talks over a possible deal for winger Louie Barry, but Aston Villa remain reluctant to sell the player and have offered him a new contract.
Villa prefer to keep Barry and loan him out for his development. He has interest from most of the Championship and several clubs abroad.
The 21-year-old was recalled from his loan at Stockport County earlier this month so that Unai Emery could take a closer look and assess whether he was ready for first-team football.
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