Daizen Maeda's time at Celtic is almost done. The Japanese international has been a superb servant for Celtic during his four years at the club, making 133 league appearances and scoring 44, and that doesn't include his prior loan spell.
Maeda's quality and dedication has made him a fan favourite during his time at the club, but the Bhoys era of his career is about to draw to a close. With just one year remaining on his contract and a dream to play in the Premier League, Maeda has agreed to leave Parkhead.
To avoid a free departure next summer, Celtic needed to sell this summer, and they were not going to stand in Maeda's way given what he has given the club over recent years. A £10million deal was agreed with Premier League newboys Ipswich Town this week, with the deal made up of an £8million upfront fee and £2million in add-ons.
Ipswich will return to the Premier League this season after one season away, albeit they have lost the manager who got them promoted for the second time in three seasons in Kieran McKenna, who walked away from the role.
Maeda to undergo Ipswich Town medical
Maeda's move to Ipswich is now speeding up, and the Japanese international, according to Sky Sports, will have his medical in the East of England within the next 24 hours.
The medical is expected to take place swiftly, and the deal is likely to be announced in the next day or so. Maeda has been given extra time off this summer due to his World Cup participation with Japan, so it's unclear when he will link up with his new teammates, and whether he will join them in the South of Spain for their ongoing pre-season training camp.
Maeda has previously said: “Since I went to Celtic, I became interested in the Premier League. I started watching a lot of Premier League games. I have a strong desire to play in the Premier League.”
He added this summer: “I’ve always said that I want to play in the Premier League. In terms of timing, I think this is the right time. But you never know what will happen.”
That dream now looks set to come true as he makes the switch to Portman Road, and he will be hoping to play a key role in Ipswich staying up, which they did not manage during the season before last, after their last promotion to the top flight.
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