One of the signings that Celtic are expected to make this summer is that of a centre-back or two. The Hoops might be about to say goodbye to multiple at the same time. Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke were signed in the same window, in hopes of replacing Carl Starfelt, but neither was successful. The former is close to joining Hannover 96 on loan while the latter seems headed to SC Braga on a permanent basis.
Of course, they were not the only centre-backs who failed to fill Starfelt's void beside Cameron Carter-Vickers. Another that falls under that category is Yuki Kobayashi.
Celtic had a stellar record in signing players from the J-League under the management of Ange Postecoglou. A rare transfer mistake was the move for Kobayashi, who was brought in in early 2023.
He made a few appearances under the management of Postecoglou but failed to impress, seemingly struggling with the physicality of Scottish football. By the end of the campaign, he had fallen behind Tomoki Iwata in the pecking order even though he had been brought in as a defensive midfielder. The Australian manager left that summer but the former Vissel Kobe man's situation did not change following Brendan Rodgers' arrival.
Official: European club announce signing of Celtic flop
Kobayashi left Celtic last summer, joining Portimonense on a permanent basis. After a season of football in the Portuguese second division, he is on the move again.
Jagiellonia Bialystok have announced the signing of Kobayashi on a permanent basis. He joins on a three-year contract with an option to extend for another year. He will wear the number 4 jersey for the Polish club.
If the name Jagiellonia Bialystok sounds familiar, it is because that is the club from which Celtic had signed Patryk Klimala. It did not really work out for the Polish striker, once compared to Robert Lewandowski. Instead, he has carved out a journeyman career for himself. Since leaving Glasgow in 2021, he has played for five clubs and on four different continents.
One would hope that Kobayashi finds a bit more stability. He has struggled to find his feet since moving to Europe. On the other hand, the Hoops seem to be on the verge of signing another Japanese centre-back, Hayato Inamura.