Celtic respond to Tottenham interest in ‘£25m’ Daizen Maeda deal
Tottenham and any other interested Premier League club will have to pay over £25million to sign Celtic’s Daizen Maeda this summer, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what his sources have said about the future of Celtic’s free-scoring Japan forward.
Maeda’s form exploded at Celtic Park last season as he became Brendan Rodgers’ main man in the wake of Kyogo Furuhashi’s exit to Rennes, with 16 Premiership goals and a total tally of 33 in all competitions.
Rodgers is keen to build his team around Maeda next season and will be desperate to see Celtic reject any offers for the 27-year-old, as interest from several Premier League clubs emerges this summer.
Sources have told Football Insider that Brentford, Tottenham and West Ham are all keen to bring Maeda to the English capital, and further afield, Fenerbahce are also interested in the Japanese international.
Celtic are in no mood to lose Maeda this summer, however, and Football Insider sources have said that it will take offers of no less than £25m for Rodgers’ side to even contemplate selling their star attacker.
Rodgers to reject any chance of Celtic selling Maeda
Scottish Premiership pundits have anticipated the prospect of Maeda leaving Celtic for big money this summer, but it remains to be seen if those interested Premier League sides will meet his £25m price tag.
Speaking on the new Inside Track, O’Rourke said that Premier League interest is hardly surprising after Maeda’s 33 goals and 12 assists last season, and that Rodgers won’t want to lose him at any price.
“I don’t think Celtic would be prepared to entertain offers for him – he’s been a revelation”, he told Football Insider.
“Maeda is such a key player for this Celtic side. Brendan Rodgers will be looking to build around him, not lose him – definitely not, unless it’s huge, huge money.
“You’d be looking at £25million plus, to even make Celtic think that they should cash in on Maeda. It doesn’t surprise me that there’s Premier League clubs looking at him.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Brentford are looking at him. There’s also been talk that Tottenham, West Ham, Fenerbahce are all admirers of the Japanese International.”
Brendan Rodgers revolt on the cards if Celtic sell Maeda
Brentford and Tottenham’s joint interest in Maeda comes as no surprise given Thomas Frank only made his move between the two clubs last month, while the Japan international also has connections at Leeds.
Maeda being sold by Celtic this summer could set off a chain reaction at Parkhead, with Rodgers already unhappy with Celtic’s lack of incomings in the transfer window after disagreements with his higher-ups.
Fears that Rodgers could leave Celtic for a second time have grown, and Maeda departing for a big-money Premier League move would compound his existing frustrations beyond a point of no return.