Celtics three new Japanese additions

Celtics three new Japanese additions

Celtic have been incredibly fast in improving their squad in the January transfer window, securing Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda within the first week of 2022. It was another clear sign that Ange Postecoglou is happy to continue t pinch some of Japan’s best talent after leaving the Yokohama Marinos for Celtic last year. The Celtic new boys may not be very well known to many fans of the club, so here is a bit more detail about Celtics January business.

Reo Hatate

The most expensive of the three, Hatate is also the youngest out of the three, having turned 24 in November. Hatate joins Celtic from back to back J league winners Kawasaki Frontale, having played crucial roles in both title winning years. Hatate played 62 games in the league for Kawasaki Frontale across those title winning campaigns, providing a huge amount of versatility to the team.

Despite being a central midfielder by trade, Hatate is incredibly versatile, having played at left back and attacking midfield for a lot of time in Japan. Hatate will be able to support Celtics midfield, a versatile asset to have. Its also a pretty valuable asset to have the best gambling site which you can be found on this page.

Yosuke Ideguchi

Another central midfielder, Ideguchi does not join Celtic off the back of a success period with his club. Ideguchi played 29 games for Gamba Osaka in 2021 as they slipped all the way down the 13th in the J league, having finished in 2nd in 2020. Ideguchi even acknowledged his poor performances, apologising to the Gamba Osaka supporters. Ideguchi was really able to reignite his career when he returned to Japan in 2019, having had multiple loan spells after joining Leeds in 2018.

Ideguchi has played the large majority of his career as a central midfielder and will be a good addition to the Celtic midfield that has seen two new additions already in January.

Daizen Maeda (pictured)

Probably the most exciting signing for Celtic fans, Maeda is another player to join Celtic who played under Postecoglou at Yokohama Mariners. This is the second time Maeda has joined a team coached by Poste and will offer another exciting attacking option. Maeda plays throughout the front line, playing more than 40 games as a left winger, second striker and centre forward.

But Maeda excelled in the most recent J league season at left wing. His Marinos team finished second in the league behind Hatate’s Frontale’s. But individually, Maeda was excellent. Maeda scored 23 times in his 36 games in the league, finishing the season as joint top scorer of the entire league. An incredible output from a winger who had never put up more than five goals in a league season before 2021. To be able to get Maeda on a loan with the obligation to buy is miracle work from Poste and he will be able to compliment the front options like Jota, Kyogo and Ateji.

Celtic fans should be very excited about all three of these signings and they should help close that six point gap to Rangers before the end of the season.