Daizen Maeda brutally called out popular football legend who’s always talking bulsh**t about him and his club
Celtic ‘preparing’ for the exit of star this summer
Celtic are ‘preparing’ for life after Daizen Maeda, according to a new report.
The Japanese international has been at the club since Ange Postecoglou was in charge, joining alongside Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi in December 2021.
However, Football Insider has reported that the Scottish Premiership champions are likely to cash in on the 28-year-old at the end of the season, with the versatile attacker set to enter the final year of his contract.
With seemingly ‘no chance’ of the former Yokohama F Marinos forward signing an extension to his current deal, Maeda’s wishes of a departure from Celtic look set to be granted this summer, following a willingness from the player to leave back in 2025.
Speaking to Japanese media shortly after the closure of the summer transfer window, Maeda opened up on his frustrations regarding a move not materialising, which Martin O’Neill confirmed was from the German Bundesliga in a press conference earlier this year.
Since arriving from the J1-League, Maeda has been a success story in Scotland, both in terms of goalscoring and overall impact at the club. In 199 appearances so far for Celtic, he has scored 70 goals, assisting a further 36 times in all competitions.
Additionally, his defensive work during his five-year spell at the club has also been widely praised, both domestically and in European competition.
Alongside Hatate, Maeda is the last of several Japanese players still currently featuring for Celtic’s first-team, with Ideguchi, Kyogo Furuhashi, Tomoki Iwata and Yuji Kobayashi all moving on to pastures new.
Despite two new additions from the Asian country joining last summer in the form of Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada, both already find themselves out on loan, having failed to make an impact in the first half of the season.
Tomas Cvancara has had a mixed time of it since joining Celtic in January.
It only took Celtic 12 months to replace Kyogo Furuhashi, as Pat Bonner compared the new kid on the block to the Hoops legend, who is now at Birmingham City.
Adding the out-of-form Daizen Maeda into the argument as well, Bonner stated that Cvancara ‘doesn’t put the same pressure’ on the opposition backline like the Japan duo.
On Sunday, Celtic were beaten by Hibernian, and Cvancara struggled as the lone striker, as Martin O’Neill replaced him after the hour mark with the scores level.
Pat Bonner says Tomas Cvancara lacks the pressing of Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi
Maeda might not be the same this season, but that doesn’t mean the Celtic Park faithful haven’t been used to him being a pressing machine over the years.
Kyogo was the same during his prime, but Bonner told BBC Radio Scotland that when he watches Cvancara, the opposition can ‘play around him’ easier.
But Bonner didn’t just point towards the loan signing from Borussia Monchengladbach because he also feels those around him need to help him out.
Cvancara up front, he’s quick when he gets into his stride, but he isn’t Kyogo and Maeda,” said Bonner. “He doesn’t put the same pressure on. People can play around him.
“Cvancara comes really, really deep. Somebody else has to occupy his space. You have to make a run.
“Oxlade-Chamberlain was asked to make that run. But I don’t think that’s his game. I think he wants to be on the ball. Getting the ball.”
It was such a positive start from Cvancara, who provided a stunning assist on debut against Premiership leaders Hearts at Tynecastle.
Before the 25-year-old scored during Celtic’s win over Falkirk, but since then, life has been tough for the striker.
