Celtic have been linked with a lot of players in recent times but one rumour that has come pretty much out of the blue is the one involving Tomoki Iwata. The Japanese player was a key part of Yokohama F. Marinos’ league triumph recently and was named the J League MVP for his superb performances as well.
Celtic have kept an especially close eye on the J1 League ever since Ange Postecoglou arrived as the manager of the club in the summer of 2021 and have made five signings from the Japanese top flight over the past 18 months or so.
Thus, it is not hard to understand why Iwata might be on the radar of Celtic, considering his incredible performances last season as well as the fact that he has already worked under the management of Postecoglou during their time together at Yokohama F. Marinos.
Most people believe that he will be brought in as a defensive midfielder. But as reported by the Daily Record, Tomohiro Katanosaka, who managed Iwata at Oita Trinita, said about the player:
"“What I like about him is his versatility. I played him as a central defender, right back, central midfielder and as a defensive midfielder. He excelled in them all. I think each time he played in a different position, his overall game improved.“He has been a great signing for Yokohama. He fitted into the club really well and the awards he won were no more than he deserved.“For me, I think central defence is his best position and it shows how well he did because the MVP in Japanese football is usually a striker or creative midfielder. He’s dedicated to football and will get better and better.“And there’s no doubt he played a big part in helping Yokohama win the title this year.”"
Former manager believes that Celtic target’s best position is in central defence
It is safe to say that Iwata’s versatility would be a big asset for any club that he is signed to. But at the same time, it is hard to believe that Celtic will be looking at another central defender at this point of time.
The club already have five in the position, in the form of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Carl Starfelt, Stephen Welsh, Yuki Kobayashi and Moritz Jenz, who is on a season-long loan from Ligue 1 side Lorient.
Also, Iwata might be a little undersized for a centre-back when it comes to the Scottish Premiership.
On the other hand, defensive midfield is a position where Celtic could do with more options, with Nir Bitton leaving at the end of last season and Oliver Abildgaard failing to make his mark since arriving.