Brendan Rodgers ‘doing everything he can’ to stop Daizen Maeda quitting Celtic
Daizen Maeda’s admission that he wanted to leave Celtic in the summer leaves Brendan Rodgers in a difficult position at Parkhead, sources have told Football Insider.
Celtic were left rocked by Maeda’s public statement that he had asked to leave the club in the transfer window, compounding what had already been a frustrating summer period for Rodgers and his squad.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Rodgers now has the difficult task of drawing Maeda’s eyes away from the exit door and preventing any further distractions.
Football Insider revealed on 12 September that Maeda’s stance had left Rodgers with a selection headache, but the 27-year-old kept his place at Kilmarnock on Sunday with few other options up front.
Celtic have been urged to accept offers for Maeda in January in order to maximise his transfer value, but my sources have said that Rodgers’ only focus is ensuring that Maeda remains settled at Celtic Park.
With a transfer off the table until January, sources have told Football Insider that Rodgers is doing all he can to keep Maeda focused on the task at hand, with his presence increasingly important for Celtic.
Celtic can’t do without Daizen Maeda as January exit looms
Football Insider revealed on 8 September that Celtic still won’t allow Maeda to leave in January despite his public desire to do so, with the attacker still Rodgers’ go-to player through the middle this season.
“Brendan Rodgers will have a job on his hands to get his players back focused on playing football – they’re going to need [Maeda] between now and January”, I noted on the new Inside Track Podcast.
“Rodgers will be doing everything he can to ensure that Maeda is back and settled after that transfer speculation, now the window is closed.
“There’s obviously going to be a lot of uncertainty at Celtic [going forwards].”
Daizen Maeda made indispensable by Celtic’s transfer activity
Maeda continues to be used as a centre-forward for the Hoops despite his best form in Glasgow coming from the left flank, after Celtic failed to address and eventually exacerbated their clear dearth of strikers.
Adam Idah‘s deadline day sale to Swansea has predictably led to a huge backlash against Celtic’s board, who allowed Rodgers’ only out-and-out number nine to leave without a clear replacement being lined up.
Kelechi Iheanacho may have been brought in from Sevilla on a free transfer, but this does little to plug a gap which Maeda has made all-too obvious that he doesn’t see himself filling for much longer at Celtic.