-
News
- 30 minutes ago
€12m Celtic transfer agreed as World Cup star secures dream move
Updated: 21 Jul 2026 16:11 BST |
3 min read
Breaking
Daizen Maeda is on the verge of fulfilling his Premier League dream, with Celtic now having accepted a bid from Ipswich Town.
The Japan international is coming off a rip-roaring end to the season that saw him score seven goals in five games after the split as Celtic dramatically pipped Hearts to the Premiership title.
He continued his impressive form at the World Cup, even if the Samurai Blue capitulated to a poor Brazil side to crash out at the first knockout hurdle. Inevitably, Maeda is now set to leave Celtic.
Current ETV
Daizen Maeda
F (CL)
Celtic
Daizen Maeda
F (CL)
Celtic
ETV Range
€10.3M - €12.6M
The 28-year-old has made absolutely no secret of his desire to play in the Premier League. He was already desperate to leave Parkhead last summer, but the club failed to find an adequate replacement and did not greenlight his exit.
In recent days, Maeda has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to leave Celtic while speaking to local media in his home country, leading to Hoops boss Martin O'Neill admitting that the club have resigned themselves to losing the forward.
Ipswich agree Maeda deal
And according to Sky Sports, an agreement for his transfer has now been reached. Over the past 24 hours, interest from promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town has emerged, and a deal has already been struck.
The Tractor Boys have seen a bid worth a total of around €12 million accepted by Celtic. Most of the fee will be paid upfront, while a small chunk is attainable via bonuses.
Given Maeda's age, his desire to leave and the fact that he only has a year left on his contract, €12m is probably a fair fee. Having so publicly pined for a Premier League move for over a year, he will now have to show that he is indeed good enough to play at this level.
The 28-year-old will leave a gaping hole in O'Neill's side, but the report adds that Celtic have prepared themselves for this scenario. Anything less would, of course, have been borderline negligent given the player's unmistakable desire to jump ship.
The Glasgow giants have "been making inroads on potential replacements," though what exactly this means is unclear. What is known, though, is that Celtic are chasing a deal for Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan.
Sky confirmed on Monday that an approach had been made, while other outlets believe that it is already far more advanced. Egyptian media have claimed that Celtic have made a "huge" second bid for the 24-year-old after Oviedo rebuffed an opening offer.
Celtic have already signed striker Camilo Duran from Qarabag for €5.5m this summer after he bagged five goals in the Champions League last season. They have, however, missed out on Kelechi Iheanacho and Lorent Tolaj.
