Daizen Maeda has given Celtic supporters another reason to watch this summer closely after admitting he does not know what would happen if an offer arrived for him.
The Japanese forward has just completed one of the best seasons of his Celtic career. His goals, relentless running and ability to play across the front line made him one of the first names on Martin O’Neill’s teamsheet during the title run-in.
That is why any uncertainty around his future will attract attention.
Maeda has been here before. Last summer, he openly admitted he wanted to leave Celtic after receiving interest from elsewhere. The move never happened because the club decided against selling him, and he remained in Glasgow.
A year later, the situation is different in one respect.
Maeda now has just 12 months remaining on his contract. That naturally changes the conversation around any potential transfer interest because Celtic will soon have to decide whether to extend his deal or risk entering the final stages of his contract.
Maeda has been reflecting on that situation while promoting his autobiography in Japan.
He said: (Daily Record), “If I receive an offer this summer, I’m curious to see if Celtic will grant that wish.”
The comment is brief, but it leaves plenty open to interpretation.
It is not a player pushing for an exit. Nor is it somebody publicly committing his future to the club. Instead, it sounds like a player who understands there may be interest and is waiting to see how Celtic respond if that happens.
From a football perspective, replacing Maeda would not be straightforward.
His goals matter, but so does everything else he brings. Celtic’s press often begins with him. Defenders make mistakes because he never stops chasing. Centre-backs rarely get an easy afternoon against him. Those qualities are difficult to find.
That is why contract talks may become one of the club’s priorities during the coming weeks.
For now, Maeda remains a Celtic player and a key one at that. But with a year left on his deal and his latest comments adding a fresh layer to the discussion, his future looks set to be one of the stories of the summer
Keep Reading
3 responses
If we get very good offer for him plus £10 million then sell and buy a very good replacement as jota might not recover from his injury. Give him a big increase on his current salary which would make him very comfortable for his retirement in Japan when he retired from football.
He threw his toys out of the pram after being denied an exit. Downed tools all season until the last 7 weeks when he wanted to put himself in the shop window.
no way maedis is a great striker Celtic played on the left wing where he is weasted sack the board give a good wage hail hail