Martin O'Neill has headache after Daizen Maeda's transfer confession

Martin O'Neill is already facing a major challenge as Celtic boss after just days after signing new terms with the Scottish Premiership champions.

Daizen Maeda is often linked with a big-money move away, so it will hardly be a surprise to see those rumours resurfacing at Celtic Park this summer.

The player does not usually lean into the rumours, however, keeping himself to himself rather than adding more fuel to the fire.

With 71 goals and 37 assists in 190 games for the Hoops, his loan spell included, the Japanese international has become an invaluable player at the club.

It would be extremely difficult to find his replacement, one who would offer similar services in the final third, but O'Neill may indeed have that job on his hands soon.

Maeda has been away at the 2026 World Cup, but after being knocked out of the round of 32 by Brazil, attention has turned to his future.

Celtic fans read between the lines in Daizen Maeda's comments

The Premier League has been calling his name for multiple transfer windows, most strongly linked with joining Nottingham Forest.

Rumours got even louder when Ange Postecoglou was in charge, but even still, clubs across Europe are likely to be keeping tabs on his situation.

The 28-year-old, who is contract at Celtic Park until 2027, used the post-match scenes to speak on his future, and he expects to be playing at a higher level.

After the game, he said: "I personally feel that I need to keep improving and take another step forward. It made me realize that I can't stay at my current level and that I need to become a better player."

While some may refuse to read into his comments, suggesting that it's simply a task of improving personally, others are adamant that he's off this summer.

Where would Maeda rank in Celtic's most expensive departures?

With a goal against Sweden, Maeda proved his worth on the international stage, and that may have added a few million to his price tag.

Prizing the attacker out of Celtic's hands would not be a simple task, and would likely require between £20million and £25m to sign him.

Matt O'Riley is currently Celtic's all-time record departure, signing for Brighton in a £25m deal in 2024, though that deal hasn't worked out at all.

Jota to Al-Ittihad came at the same price, and so too did Kieran Tierney's move to Arsenal all the way back in 2019 before returning last summer.

Maeda would bump shoulders with some pretty big names were he to be sold for £25m, and that seems like a reasonable fee for an attacker in his prime.