Celtic star set to depart as former favourite closes in on returnCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed Kyogo Furuhashi requested to leave the club several months ago after confirming that the striker is nearing a move to France.
The Hoops have accepted a £10million bid from Rennes for the 30-year-old Japanese with the transfer expected to be completed within the next 24 hours.
Former Celtic winger Jota is poised to head in the opposite direction with the Portuguese fan favourite due to arrive in Glasgow over the weekend to seal a £8.4million move back to the club he departed 18 months ago in a £25m move to Saudi Arabia.
Jota joined Rennes last summer but has started only three matches for the Ligue 1 club.
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Celtic sacked a member of staff after leaking an apparent transfer list that included a current Chelsea star and a former Manchester United player. A document revealing Celtic’s transfer plans was leaked ahead of the 2019/20 season. The club took action in a bid to track down the mole who leaked the transfer document. Cleaner Maureen Quinn was subsequently dismissed with immediate effect following a meeting – along with her son, Edward Quinn, who was suspended from his security job at the club’s Lennoxtown training centre. Maureen told The Daily Record: “It’s a disgrace. “I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m getting blamed for whatever this is. I know my son would do nothing wrong either. We’re just scapegoats. I want to clear my name.” She added: “They pulled me in three times for meetings about this. “In my job at Lennoxtown, I empty bins and take them to the bin room on a trolley. I think they believe I’ve went through the bins and found this paper, gave it to my son and he’s photographed it. “I support Celtic because my son and husband do but I couldn’t name half their players. I couldn’t care less what’s on a bit of paper. “I was in tears. I’m gutted and sick for Edward, too.” The leaked transfer list included Chelsea’s Reece James, who had just enjoyed a season on loan at Wigan Athletic, and then-Man United’s Scott McTominay, who joined Napoli last summer. James Justin, who left Luton Town for Leicester City, and Fikayo Tomori, who starred for Derby County in the previous season, were also included on the transfer document. At the time, a Celtic spokesperson said: “This is an internal matter. We are satisfied that the club has acted appropriately.” Edward had been employed by Celtic since 2008, stewarding games before moving onto security work. He said: “About 30 people work at the training centre. Celtic had a club lawyer and head of security question everyone in the building on their own. They got me and my mum back in for second interviews. “They showed me a photo of a hand holding a piece of paper. My boss said, ‘I think they look like your nails’. I showed them my nails, which aren’t as short as those in the photo. “They also referred to me going into the football admin office on the morning of the Scottish Cup Final on May 25. I was on shift and have texts to show I was asking people if they had a phone charger. I went in that office looking for one.”
January 2, 2025
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It’s not finalised yet but a player that would clearly be an absolutely incredible addition to our squad from what he has done here before and his qualities,” Rodgers said. “Hopefully we can confirm that in the next 24 hours.”
Furuhashi left Glasgow within 24 hours of helping Celtic into the knockout stages of the Champions League having scored three disallowed goals in the first-half against Young Boys before being substituted off in what is set to be his final appearance for the Scottish champions.
Rodgers admitted the club were left with little choice due to the player’s wishes.
He has travelled for a medical so that will probably be confirmed in the next 24 hours,” Rodgers added. “It’s nothing to do with the club. Naturally, as a manager, I wouldn’t want to lose one of our top players and someone who fits in with how we want to play.
“Kyogo expressed an interest to leave a number of months back. That expression becomes stronger and obviously it gets to the stage where he clearly wants to leave. Sadly, we then have to do a deal and finalise that with him.
“He’s been an incredible player for the club in the three and a half years he has been here and not someone we wanted to lose but we have to accept where he’s at.”
