Celtic agree deal to sign Japan striker Maeda

Celtic have reached an agreement in principle to sign Japan striker Daizen Maeda on an initial loan deal.

The move would see the 24-year-old join in January with the Parkhead club then having the option of making the deal permanent in the summer.

Sky News reported earlier this month the forward was one of Celtic’s targets, with the club still considering moves for Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi.

Yokohama F Marinos striker Daizen Maeda said in December he would like to move abroad with Celtic closing in on a deal

Maeda who has already worked under Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou at Yokohama F Marinos – finished last season as the joint-top scorer in the J-League and featured in the division’s best XI.

When asked about a potential move to Europe, he said: “I felt that I still have a long way to go after playing against foreign players.

“If I don’t experience playing in a foreign league, I won’t be able to close the gap, so if I have a chance, I’d love to go to such a stage.”

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It would be Celtic’s second signing from the J-League after bringing in striker Kyogo Furuhashi, who has scored 16 goals in all competitions this season, from Vissel Kobe.

However, the Celtic manager added fans should not expect as many arrivals as they saw in the summer.