Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has continued his criticism of Kyogo’s January move to Rennes for a reported fee of £10 million. With Jota set to return, the Japanese forward is moving in the opposite direction to Jorge Sampaoli’s side.

Kyogo has proven himself at Celtic to be one of the best strikers the Hoops have seen over the last 20 years, with some even labelling him the best striker the club has had since Henrik Larsson. It is a sign of the high regard in which he has been held during his three and a half years at the club.

With 85 goals in 165 games for Celtic, including 3 league titles, 3 league cups, and 2 Scottish Cups, his record speaks for itself. Kyogo has scored big goals in major games, including Glasgow derbies, cup finals, and European nights. He has gone from an unknown player from Japan to becoming the Hoops’ talisman.

Having signed as a replacement for Odsonne Édouard in the summer of 2021, Édouard is rarely discussed in the same light as Kyogo, highlighting just how well Kyogo has done at Celtic, given Édouard’s own impressive time at the Hoops. A surprise move to Ligue 1 for the Japanese forward has come with understandable sadness from supporters and those who follow the club.

With Sutton of the belief that Kyogo leaving is a sign that Celtic are content with where they are, having secured a place in the Champions League knockout playoffs on Wednesday night.

Sutton said: (Daily Record), “You can tell me that £10million is a good fee for a 30-year-old all you like, but that’s nothing in the modern game for a game-changer.

“And, incidentally, 30 is not old. Look at Mo Salah down the road at Liverpool and it’s not as if Celtic are like Rangers and need the money. Why not give it your best shot to reach the next stage. Like I said, it’s like a hands-up.”

It’s a good point from Sutton, but what goes against his argument is that Brendan Rodgers came out in Friday’s press conference stating that Kyogo has been wanting to leave for months. This means Rodgers has had to deal with an unhappy player for a number of months.

Nevertheless, Kyogo has still been contributing well, with 10 goals and 3 assists in 22 league games this season. However, it’s clear that the Japanese forward is desperate to play for his nation in the 2026 World Cup.

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu is said to not rate the Scottish Premiership, despite consistently picking teammate Daizen Maeda.

Kyogo’s move to Ligue 1 is seen as an attempt to break into the national team before next year’s World Cup. With Rennes currently sitting 16th in the French league, it’s not about trophies for Kyogo—it’s about playing in major competitions for his country, not a lack of ambition from Celtic.