Sport nationAtlanta United Prepares New Bid for Celtic Star Kyogo Furuhashi
Atlanta United is considering a fresh approach to sign Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi. The Major League Soccer (MLS) club is willing to pay around £10 million to land the Japanese talisman in the summer window.
Initially, Atlanta United’s offer was met with no encouragement from Celtic. However, with two designated player slots vacant ahead of the new season in February, the ambitious outfit is in the market for a marquee center-forward.
Reports from Portugal indicate that talks with Benfica about a move for Brazilian Arthur Cabral have hit a stumbling block over the price. As a result, Mail Sport understands that Furuhashi remains on the list of targets for Atlanta United.
Former Celtic manager Ronny Deila was recently confirmed as Atlanta United’s new head coach. The club has also appointed former Inter Miami executive Chris Henderson as their new chief soccer officer. CEO Garth Lagerwey has promised more significant moves in the new year to remake the club.
“We promised that we were going to remake the club,” Lagerwey said. “This is the first big one, and there’ll be more to come to make this better in 2025.”
Kyogo Furuhashi’s Current Form and Contract
Furuhashi has struggled this season, scoring only six league goals. He is currently tied to a new £20,000-a-week four-year deal, which runs until the summer of 2027. Although linked with a switch to Manchester City last summer, the strongest interest came from Atlanta United, with Celtic unwilling to sell ahead of another Champions League campaign.
Signed by Ange Postecoglou, Furuhashi made a blistering start to life in Glasgow, scoring 34 goals in all competitions before hitting the net 19 times last season. His tally for the current campaign is eight goals from 24 appearances, with six of his goals in the Premiership.
Celtic’s Reluctance to Sell
While an eight-figure offer would give Celtic a decision to make over a player who turns 30 on January 20, the Parkhead club needs their top men as they aim for another domestic clean sweep. With qualification for the play-off stage of the Champions League set to be decided in the final weeks of January, they would be reluctant sellers.
Brendan Rodgers held a transfer planning summit with major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Michael Nicholson in Dublin last week. They discussed new arrivals in January, with a left-winger being a priority. Regardless of whether left-back Greg Taylor commits to a new deal, Rodgers would also like to secure Kieran Tierney for a Parkhead return.
Effectively a free agent in the summer, the Arsenal player has already drawn strong interest from major clubs in England and abroad. Insisting he’ll be the last to know if a deal with his former teammate is happening, Celtic captain Callum McGregor said:
“He’s a quality player. I’ve been in the wars with him for a number of years now. I’ve not spoken to him yet, but I have seen all the stuff that’s been written. I don’t know too much about it, but we’re generally the last ones to know.”
The Future of Celtic’s Squad
Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Dundee United illustrated that there is scope for improvement in the Celtic squad. Nicolas Kuhn, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Alistair Johnston all missed out through injury or illness.
McGregor added:
“In every window, we do look to strengthen. Naturally, being at a big club, there’s always competition for places. Come January, we might have a few new faces in, and that’ll push the group even further, and the squad will get stronger.”
Central defender Stephen Welsh is keen to secure more first-team football and is a target for Belgian club KV Mechelen. As the transfer window approaches, Celtic will be looking to strengthen their squad while also fending off interest in their top players, including Kyogo Furuhashi.
Sport nation
Amina Umar
