Celtic hold talks to sign £38,000-a-week versatile forward – Sky journalist

Celtic look set to lose striker Kyogo Furuhashi in this transfer window, but the Hoops have already made a move when it comes to signing his potential replacement, according to a new report.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops enjoyed a successful night in the Champions League on Wednesday, as their 1-0 win over Young Boys – a scoreline that was generous to the visitors – secured their passage to the next round of the competition for the first time since 2013. Reaching the knockouts along with sitting pretty at the top of the Scottish Premiership means Celtic are on course for another successful campaign, but despite this, the Hoops continue to be linked with new arrivals.

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One player the Hoops have been heavily linked with and look set to sign in 2025 is Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney. The left-back is close to signing a pre-contract agreement to return to Parkhead, with it still a possibility he will join on loan this month too after falling out of favour at the Emirates Stadium.

Aston Villa’s Louie Barry is also of interest to the Hoops, and they have even made an offer for the exciting winger, but a £5 million bid plus £5 million in add-ons wasn’t enough for Villa to let Barry leave.

As well as arrivals, there could be departures at Celtic, as Luis Palma looks set to leave the club this month. Football Insider have reported that Palma remains keen on leaving the club, as he wants to play regular football, and he may not be the only one leaving Parkhead this month, as fellow striker Kyogo Furuhashi is close to joining Rennes.

Celtic hold talks to sign £38k-p/w forward in separate deal

According to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Celtic already have a replacement for Kyogo in mind as they hold talks over the possibility of Jota returning to the club. The reporter writes that this is a separate deal and will not form any type of player plus cash swap.

Joseph reports that Rennes are in advanced talks to sign Kyogo in a deal worth £10 million, with the 30-year-old keen on joining a top five league club to increase his chances of playing for Japan in the World Cup. As he looks set to depart, Jospeh goes on to add that Celtic have held talks with Rennes over a separate deal that would see Jota return to Parkhead.

The 25-year-old, who Joao Tralhao believes took Celtic to “another level” and described him as a “truly amazing” talent, joined the Hoops in August 2021 and left in July 2023. The Portuguese scored 28 goals in 83 games in all competitions for the Scottish side, his most emphatic season being the 2022/23 campaign, as he scored 11 goals and recorded 11 assists in 33 league games.

Jota, who earns 45,385 euros a week (£38,000), would be the ideal replacement for Kyogo, as he can not only play as a striker, but he can also operate comfortably on both flanks, as can the Japan international. Jota has struggled for form since joining Rennes, so a move back to Parkhead, where he really enjoyed his football, could appeal to the player as he looks to get his career back on track.