Celtic target Japanese market for audacious triple swoop | OneFootball

Celtic are reportedly seeking to add three more Japanese players to their ranks.

According to The Japan Times newspaper, the Bhoys are interested in striker Daizen Maeda and midfield pair Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate.

Maeda and Ideguchi, who are on the books at Yokohama F. Marinos and Gamba Osaka respectively, have both already spent time in Europe.

The former was on loan at Marítimo in Portugal, while Ideguchi has featured for Greuther Fürth. He was actually on the bought by Leeds in 2018, but never made a senior appearance for the Yorkshire outfit.

Celtic’s hopes of landing the pair are said to be aided by their clubs’ willingness to allow them another crack at a higher level.

It is likely that Hatate will be a tougher deal to seal, with Kawasaki Frontale holding out for much more than the Scottish side have offered to date.

Kawasaki are the current J1 League champions having romped home in two successive seasons.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou spent over three years in charge of Marinos (leading them to the title in 2019) before leaving for Parkhead.

He has already tapped the Japanese market once by bringing striker Kyogo Furuhashi in from Vissel Kobe during the summer.