Celtic have been moving fast in the transfer market, long before the January window has even opened. The club have already been successful in signing Yuki Kobayashi and Alistair Johnston, and seem to be on the verge of strengthening their squad further, by adding the highly versatile J1 League MVP to the mix soon as well.
Recent rumours have suggested that Celtic are closing in on a move to sign Tomoki Iwata from Yokohama F. Marinos on an initial loan deal, with an option to buy included in it.
Now, as reported by Kyodo News, Iwata is likely to join Celtic on loan, sources familiar with the matter said.
And it seems that that is enough to convince Dan Orlowitz, who has become the go-to source for news on Japanese players for many Celtic fans over the past 18 months or so, that the move is going to happen. He tweeted out regarding the matter, described it as a ‘done deal’:
I expressed my confidence on this move recently based on my sources, but if Kyodo are reporting it, 100% done deal here we go etc. https://t.co/IwnmcK9d39
— Dan Orlowitz (@aishiterutokyo) December 27, 2022
It looks like Celtic are set to sign the player soon
Ange Postecoglou was the manager of Yokohama F. Marinos, when they had signed Iwata. Thus, it is clear that the Australian already knows the player well from their time together in Japan and rates him as well.
That of course will be a bonus regarding any move for Iwata, as the manager will know exactly what he will be getting from the player and must also have a clear idea of how he will use him in the team.
Iwata is a very versatile player capable of playing with equal ease in several positions, but one has to feel that he would be brought in as a defensive midfielder by Celtic. That is an area where the club need more options, especially with recent rumours breaking out that Oliver Abildgaard’s loan deal could be cut short.