Daizen Maeda plan revealed as Celtic ‘step up Michel-Ange Balikwisha pursuit’
Celtic’s plan for Daizen Maeda has become clear thanks to their pursuit of Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
Maeda was arguably Scotland’s most lethal attacking force last season, notching 33 goals and 11 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.
That form has sparked speculation about a move away from Parkhead this summer, with Premier League duo Brentford and Tottenham both linked with Maeda.
However, the Japan international now looks destined to stay at Celtic and continue his key role in Brendan Rodgers’ attack.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda plan
Football Insider reported recently that Celtic were making major progress in their bid to sign Balikwisha from Antwerp.
The 24-year-old former Belgium youth international registered 20 goals and eight assists in 86 appearances across all competitions during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns for Antwerp — lifting Belgian Pro League and Cup titles along the way.
A torn thigh muscle derailed his 2024/25 season, yet Balikwisha still managed four goals and three assists in 16 league outings, proving himself as one of Belgium’s most effective domestic-based forwards.
Sky Sports have confirmed (21 August) that a fee in the region of £5million will be enough to secure the signing of Balikwisha, who has just one year left on his Antwerp contract.
What’s more, Celtic fans will be buzzing to see Sky state that Rodgers’ plan is to deploy Balikwisha in his natural wing position, moving Maeda centrally to lead the line as a No.9 — a position where the natural winger boasts a record of 40 goals and 12 assists in 76 career appearances to date (Transfermarkt).
Alongside Balikwisha, Feyenoord’s Calvin Stengs is a major target for Celtic.
Daizen Maeda the perfect striker candidate for Celtic
Football Insider verdict
It goes without saying that Maeda is absolutely indispensable to Celtic, with the 27-year-old playing a huge part in the Hoops winning yet another domestic double last season — not to mention reaching the Champions League knockout rounds, scoring four goals in nine outings in that competition.
As mentioned, Maeda has a very impressive record in the centre-forward position, despite being a natural winger — and when condensed down purely to his time at Parkhead, it makes for even better reading.
| Celtic stats | Daizen Maeda |
| Appearances | 162 |
| Goals | 63 |
| Assists | 29 |
| Trophies | 8 |
19 of Maeda’s 76 appearances as a striker have come in a green and white jersey, with the former Yokohama F. Marinos man notching 17 goals and five assists in that position.
Last season, Maeda reached new levels while moonlighting as a striker, dropping 14 goals and four assists in 10 appearances, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Rangers and Aberdeen either conceding a goal or assist to him — the latter suffering most with five goals and one assist.
Maeda has big-game pedigree as a striker, not to mention the ice-cold finishing and positional awareness in the final third to almost make him feel like a natural.
Signing a winger is going to be much cheaper than a starting striker this summer for Celtic, and Maeda gives them the perfect solution through the middle.