Daizen Maeda lands Celtic bombshell on exit plans and transfer deadline day move
Japanese forward reveals he was close to leaving club
Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has revealed that he nearly left the club during the transfer window.
The 27-year-old Japanese forward says he was ready to “take the next step” in his career, only to be denied by Celtic’s inability to source replacements for him.
Maeda was Celtic’s top goalscorer last season, but has been unable to hit those heights this term, only netting once and missing a penalty in the shoot-out defeat by Kairat Almaty in the Champions League qualifiers.
Signed from Yokohama F Marinos in 2022, Maeda has become an integral part of the Celtic team, but his quotes from being away with Japan on international duty now cast doubts over his long-term future at Parkhead.
Speaking ahead of Japan’s match against Mexico in the US, Maeda said: "Me joining the national team was delayed, and I had been talking to Celtic until the last day, but it didn't work out.
"I had received an offer, and I had been telling the club that I wanted to take the next step, but Celtic hadn't been able to make any good reinforcements, so in the end they told me they couldn't let me leave.
Maeda: Champions League exit ‘made it difficult’
"There were some things that I had agreed to personally, so I wanted to take on the challenge. I've decided to stay with Celtic, so I want to work hard as a team.”
Maeda added in an interview with Gekisaka: "I'd been talking to the club since before the end of the previous season, and I'd always told them I wanted to take the next step, but we had league games and we lost in the Champions League qualifiers, so it was difficult."
Maeda still has another two years to run on his Celtic contract and was being monitored by English Premier League outfit Brentford during the summer after winning the Scottish player of the year award last season.
Celtic sold Maeda’s compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi in January to Rennes, while striker Adam Idah was allowed to sign for Swansea City on deadline day for £6m.
However, Celtic remain light in attack, with Maeda and new signing Kelechi Iheanacho the only two experienced players who are able to play as No 9s.
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