Martin O'Neill to sanction Daizen Maeda transfer as Celtic deal with year-long issue
Martin O'Neill is prepared to sanction the sale of Daizen Maeda as he seeks a move away from Celtic, sources have told Football Insider.
The 28-year-old has made no secret of his desire to leave Scottish football, and has been planning for a future away from Parkhead for well over a year at this stage.
He played a crucial role in Celtic's title success last season as he found the net seven times in their final five league games, but there is now an acceptace the time has come to move on.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, O'Neill is prepared to let Maeda move on and is putting plans in place to land his replacement.
The boss is preparing a significant overhaul of his squad after landing the permanent job, and replacing his star forward is set to become a priority for Celtic.
Celtic are now bracing to receive offers for Maeda, with interest expected to grow from across Europe due to his availability and the club's stance.
Could clubs now make moves to sign Daizen Maeda?
Football Insider revealed in May that Celtic will not stand in the way of Maeda leaving the club as he is keen to explore a new challenge away from Parkhead.
They will insist any move will have to be on their terms and for the right price, but Maeda's stance may now make that difficult as he pushes to leave Parkhead.
A number of clubs, notably in the Bundesliga and the Premier League, are believed to have been keeping an eye on his situation and could now make a move.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Maeda is coming into the final year of his contract at Celtic, so this offers Celtic the last opportunity to cash in on him.
"He's had a good World Cup with Japan, obviously his pressing is we know a major strength of his as well and I'm sure there will be clubs ready to make offers for the Japan international as well.
"Martin O'Neill reluctantly would be willing to sanction a departure for him due to his contract situation.
"He will be hoping that his performances for Japan at the World Cup and his form for Celtic at the back end of the season will see his price tag rise.
"Then Celtic will hopefully be able to use that money to invest in their squad and find a replacement for him."
What has Maeda said about leaving Celtic?
Maeda has been open about his desire to seek a new challenge this summer, and confessed his plans to the media following Japan's exit from the World Cup.
After Japan's defeat against Brazil, the forward revealed he has reaslied he "can't stay" at his current level and is now determined to make a step up in his career.
Football Insider revealed on 5 July that Maeda is increasingly likely to leave Celtic as he prepares to push for a move away after publicly revaeling his intentions.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a strong end to the season at Parkhead before impressing with Japan at the World Cup, and is believed to have attracted high-profile interest.
He has been keen to move on in search of a new challenge for a while, having hoped to join Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg last summer, but they couldn't reach an agreement.