Kyogo Furuhashi has completed a move to Birmingham City in a deal believed to be worth around £10 million, bringing an end to a difficult six-month spell in France with Rennes.
The transfer sees him link up again with Chris Davies, who was part of the coaching staff under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic and is now in charge at St Andrew’s.
Furuhashi left Celtic in January for Rennes, but the switch failed to deliver. He made just a handful of appearances, mostly off the bench, and struggled for minutes, registering no goals and clocking under an hour of football in total. His last outing for the Ligue 1 side came in early April.
That move was a sharp contrast to his impact in Glasgow. Signed from Vissel Kobe in 2021, Kyogo quickly became a central figure in Celtic’s success.
Over two-and-a-half seasons, he racked up 85 goals in 165 games, helping the Hoops to three league titles, three League Cups, and two Scottish Cups. He was the standout performer in the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 34 times and collecting both the PFA and SFWA Player of the Year awards.
With promotion ambitions and a familiar face in the dugout, the move could offer Kyogo the platform he needs to get his career back on track, and push for a place in Japan’s World Cup plans.
