Kyogo Furuhashi’s situation at Birmingham City has drifted into an odd place. The forward turned down a return to Celtic in January, choosing instead to stay and fight for his spot. Since then, minutes have been hard to find.
He has barely featured. One short appearance since the window closed tells its own story. At times he has not even made the squad. For a player who built his game on rhythm and movement, that lack of time on the pitch makes it harder to get back in.
There is also a familiar issue in the background. The shoulder problem that followed him during his time at Celtic has not gone away. It was always something he managed rather than fixed, dipping in and out depending on contact and how he landed.
Birmingham boss Chris Davies gave a brief update on Kyogo’s situation when asked about his availability.
He said: (the Birmingham Mail), “He had a bit of a shoulder issue a few weeks ago but he’s around and training.”
It’s a simple update, but it says a lot about where Kyogo is right now. He’s fit enough to train and be around the squad, yet he’s still not getting on the pitch. That points to something beyond just the injury.
At Celtic, everything worked off his movement. Runs across defenders, quick passes into space, chances arriving early in the box. That’s where he made his name.
That’s why his decision in January stands out even more now. Celtic gave him a clear route back to a system built for him. A place where he had already scored goals, won trophies, and knew exactly how he would be used. It was set up for him to come straight back in and make an impact.
He turned it down.
Instead, he chose to stay and fight for a place in a team that doesn’t really play to his strengths. Celtic didn’t hang about. They moved on, brought in other options, and reshaped their attack without him.
Looking at it now, that decision hasn’t aged well. He passed up a return to the club where everything clicked, and he’s now stuck trying to find minutes in a side that has already settled without him. The shoulder issue is still there in the background, but the bigger problem is simple. He chose the harder path, and so far, it hasn’t taken him anywhere.
Mmmmmmm 🤔 “Celtic didn’t hang about. They moved on, brought in other options, and reshaped their attack without him”
Not sure about that. The professional “world class in everything”
club contacted the player directly unbeknownst to his club and unbeknownst to the Celtic Manager. And as for “reshaped their attack” I can’t see it. Couple of Desperate last minute loan signings.