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Celtic receive surprise transfer boost for brilliant Japanese star

By Sourav Mahanty

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - MAY 07: Ko Itakura of FC Schalke 04 celebrate winning and funs during the Second Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and FC St. Pauli at Veltins Arena on May 07, 2022 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - MAY 07: Ko Itakura of FC Schalke 04 celebrate winning and funs during the Second Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and FC St. Pauli at Veltins Arena on May 07, 2022 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images) /
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Celtic have enjoyed a fantastic season, winning both the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup. Eyes will now be slowly shifting towards the upcoming summer transfer window though. There is no need for a rebuild like the last time around, but the Hoops definitely need to strengthen, especially since they are guaranteed a spot in the group stage of the Champions League.

One of the areas that could need strengthening is central defence. Cameron Carter-Vickers’ future at the club is up in the air. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee enjoyed a tremendous campaign at Parkhead but that appears to have caught the eyes of several Premier League clubs.

Stephen Welsh does not look ready to be a regular in the starting XI. And Christopher Jullien has barely been a feature in the first-team over the past two seasons.

Amidst all this, it looks like Celtic could have the chance to sign a Japanese star that they failed to last summer despite heavy links. As reported by WAZ (via 67 Hail Hail), Schalke are now struggling to afford signing Ko Itakura on a permanent basis. The German club are going through a tough time financially despite securing promotion to the Bundesliga.

Celtic could have the chance to sign the Japanese star this summer if Schalke fail to do so

Itakura spent the season on loan at Schalke from Manchester City. The German club are believed to have an option to buy clause of a transfer fee around €5.5 million.

It remains to be seen whether Schalke are able to get the deal done for Itakura, who has been one of their standout players this season and a key reason behind their promotion to the Bundesliga from the second division.

Celtic should definitely consider making a move for Itakura if Schalke are unable to do so, especially if it turns out that Carter-Vickers won’t be joining on a permanent basis from Tottenham Hotspur. But even if he did, one feels like the Hoops need to bring in another centre-back at least, with Jullien potentially on his way out of Parkhead.

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