It has only been a couple of months since Kyogo Furuhashi left Celtic to join Rennes. It feels a lot longer though. The Hoops have done a great job moving on. Daizen Maeda has moved to a more central role and found a ton of success as a striker. He could potentially be the long-term option there.
On the other hand, things have been a lot tougher for Kyogo. He has struggled to get into the Rennes team and has often been left on the bench as an unused substitute or only handed a late cameo.
Of course, this will have a negative impact on his chances of making the next World Cup squad for Japan. That has led to speculation about Kyogo leaving Rennes this summer itself, only half a season after joining the French team.
There are potential rumours of a return to Celtic. At the same time, Kyogo has been sent a clear message about the circumstances surrounding his Parkhead exit. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Peter Grant told Go Radio:
"Celtic couldn’t knock the money back for Kyogo. He is sitting on the bench. I think he has played ten minutes in all the time he has been away, so he has made that decison.
“I am listening to Brendan’s interview earlier on, as soon as players make it aware that they don’t want to be there, you have got to get them out the door. If you are getting £10 million for somebody who doesn’t want to be there, then you have to let them go."
Kyogo Furuhashi sent blunt message amid Celtic return rumours
Do Celtic even need Kyogo anymore? There is no doubt that he was phenomenal for the club, especially in the two seasons that he played under the management of Ange Postecoglou, scoring 54 goals in total over those couple of years despite spending quite a bit of time out injured.
We never saw the best of Kyogo in Brendan Rodgers' system though. With the Northern Irishman set to continue as Celtic manager, perhaps it was the right step to part ways with the Japanese striker while his transfer value was at its highest.
Celtic are expected to sign a striker this summer. Will that be Kyogo? That feels unlikely but never rule anything out in football.