Celtic have not received any offers for Kyogo Furuhashi despite persistent rumours linking the striker with a move to Major League Soccer side Atlanta United.
The speculation reached a fever pitch on Wednesday night when MLS’s official website published an article claiming Atlanta had signed the Japanese international.
The MLS website’s announcement sent shockwaves through the Celtic fanbase, with the article briefly live before being pulled. It claimed that Atlanta, now managed by former Celtic boss Ronny Deila, had secured Kyogo’s services.
The timing of the error added to the confusion, as the 28-year-old was simultaneously featuring for Celtic against Dundee United at Celtic Park, coming on as a substitute.
Adding fuel to the fire, Kyogo even has a player profile on the MLS website, further suggesting the league had prepared content for such a transfer. However, it seems this was a simple case of mistaken identity.
The error arose as Atlanta United announced the signing of another Japanese striker, Cayman Togashi, on Wednesday evening. The MLS article appears to have been a mix-up between the two players. Togashi, a youth international for Japan, had been on Atlanta’s radar and officially joined the club, not Kyogo.
According to Sky Sports News, Celtic have had no contact from any club for Kyogo during this transfer window. Despite Deila’s connections to Celtic and Atlanta’s interest in adding attacking firepower, there has been no official approach for the prolific striker from him or anyone else.
Kyogo has been a key figure for Celtic since arriving in 2021, scoring vital goals domestically and in Europe. With Celtic fighting on multiple fronts, including the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup, and a potential Champions League knockout stage berth, Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to keep hold of the forward.
While the mistaken MLS announcement caused a stir, it seems that Kyogo remains firmly a Celtic player for now. However, with the January transfer window still open, fans will be keeping a close eye on any developments regarding one of the club’s most influential players.
