Tomoki Iwata is believed to be closing in on a move to Celtic. It is expected to be a loan deal till the end of the season, with an option to buy included in it for the summer. If the move goes through, it will be the club’s sixth signing from the J1 League over the past 18 months, clearly showing the impact that Ange Postecoglou has had on their transfer policy since arriving.
Of course, Iwata is someone that Postecoglou will know all about from their time together at Yokohama F. Marinos, when the Australian was the manager of the club before joining Celtic.
In fact, it was Postecoglou, who had been instrumental in bringing Iwata to Yokohama F. Marinos in 2021. And the manager did seem to have a clear idea of what he was expecting from the player.
As reported by the Daily Record, Postecoglou had said about Iwata in the past:
"“Tomoki has been a player I have been watching for some time. I saw a player who was excellent in many positions – that’s why I signed him. He can play at the bottom of the midfield as an anchor or as a central defender. He is very comfortable as a right back or a right midfielder too.“What I like about him is the strength and aggression that he will bring to the team. We want to add a bit of steel to Marinos and Tomoki will be a big part of that. I’m excited about what he can bring to the team.”"
Postecoglou’s old comments about Iwata go viral with Celtic move close
Thus, it looks like the three attributes of Iwata that caught the eye of the Celtic manager are his versatility, strength and aggression.
One could argue that this Celtic side could do with a bit of added steel as well. Nir Bitton left at the end of last season, after almost a decade-long run at Parkhead and has not been properly replaced till now. Oliver Abildgaard was brought in on a season-long loan from Rubin Kazan in the summer but that move has not worked out till now and the Dane is yet to impress in the Hoops.
Thus, someone like Iwata can prove to be a solid addition to this Celtic team at this point of time. One would expect him to feature mostly as an anchor in the middle of the park, if he did arrive, although his ability to play in several positions would most definitely be an asset to the Hoops.