Nottingham Forest must accelerate Daizen Maeda move after Celtic latest
Nottingham Forest have the chance to seal a move for Celtic striker Daizen Maeda after he reiterated his desire to move to a Premier League club.
Maeda's future has been up in the air over the last few months with the final year of his contract, which expires in June 2027, looming.
The 28-year-old completed a remarkable turnaround in form on the final day of the Premiership season in May as he fired Celtic to another title.
He registered 17 goals and 10 assists in 54 appearances last season, with nine strikes in the last seven games of the campaign.
Maeda has been targeted by Forest this summer as new boss Oliver Glasner aims to bolster his forward line.
The Reds should now be accelerating an approach for his services after he insisted that he only wants to join a Premier League side ahead of next season.
Nottingham Forest should be ramping up Daizen Maeda interest ASAP
Maeda was set to join Wolfsburg last summer before a move fell through late in the transfer window.
All parties are keen to avoid a repeat this summer, with Martin O'Neill recently admitting that he is likely to be powerless to stop him leaving.
The versatile striker, who bagged once in three World Cup games for Japan last month, recently spoke to the media in his home country about his aims for this summer.
Maeda said: "I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League, ever since I went to Celtic, so I think this year might be my chance. My strongest desire is to play in the Premier League for at least a year. I haven’t really thought about what comes after that. I think it’s the best league, and I’m confident I can do it there, so that’s why I want to take on the challenge.
"There are certain strengths to being Japanese, and I believe that no matter which team I join, there will always be many who want me. I want to showcase those strengths of being Japanese. It’s really not decided yet. It’s about negotiations between Celtic and the other party…until that’s finalised, I still have one year left on my contract with Celtic.
“For me, it’s simply that I want to play in the Premier League, and I don’t care which team it is, I just want to play here. So, no matter which team it is, what I have to do won’t change. I think that’s the only thing that matters when it comes to fighting.”
It is clear that Forest will be able to seal his signature if they make a move as soon as possible, with new boss Glasner needing to add to his attacking options before pre-season is fully underway.
Which forwards could leave Forest this summer?
Glasner is already putting his own stamp on the Forest squad, with sources telling Football Insider that Jean-Philippe Mateta is set to leave Palace for the City Ground soon.
Dan Ndoye has been linked with a move away since last season ended, but has surely played his way into staying at the club by impressing at the World Cup.
Forest are believed to be willing to sell Arnaud Kalimuendo, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Taiwo Awoniyi's future is also looking uncertain as it stands, as he has just under a year left on his contract and struggled for regular game time in 2025-26.