Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo has urged the Hoops to offer Daizen Maeda a new contract, amidst rumours of the forward preparing for a summer exit.
At times this season, Maeda has been under a lot of scrutiny. He hasn't hit the heights expected of him, but thankfully, he seems to be hitting form at the right time.
He bagged a brace against Falkirk and could've had his hat-trick, and fans were excited to see the old version of the player finally clawing its way to the surface. If he keeps it up, not only could he push Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title, but he could also command a bigger transfer fee than he could have a few months ago.
Despite this, Sinisalo thinks that keeping Maeda should be a priority for the Hoops. Speaking to The Herald, he said: "You don’t want to lose players like that. He’s a brilliant guy, a brilliant footballer, and a brilliant human being. People like that are big for the changing room and big for the club. I definitely hope he stays.
"It probably took about three months before he spoke a word to me - no, I’m only joking! He definitely understands more than he speaks.
"You know you’ve done well if Daizen comes up and says ‘well done’ after a game, that’s always a good sign. He’s an amazing man. We are lucky to have him."
Celtic are lucky to have him, but the time to move on may be coming
There is no doubt that Celtic have been incredibly lucky to have Maeda on their books. For years, he has been a consistent goalscorer and one of the best players at the club, and it was only recently that he suffered a downturn in form.
With that taken into account, it's not worth the risk of keeping him past this season, despite Sinisalo believing otherwise. If we can get a decent fee for him, that would be incredible, especially considering he hasn't hit the heights expected of him this time around.
He seems to have been disappointed after his transfer to the Bundesliga last summer fell through. You can't really blame him, as according to some reports, he'd already put everything in place for the move. Now, it may finally be time to let him go for a new challenge.
No matter what happens, he'll always go down in Celtic history. He's tormented goalkeepers in the Premiership for years, he's in James Tavernier's nightmares, and it'll be hard to find another player like him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google