Having joined Celtic in December 2022 from Yokohama F. Marinos, Tomoki Iwata has enjoyed a respectable spell at the club.
Iwata arrived in Scotland after winning the J-League and earning the J-League MVP award, sparking excitement about what he could bring to the Hoops following the success of Kyogo, Hatate, and Daizen Maeda.
Despite not being the first-choice defensive midfielder, Iwata has deputised well when called upon, stepping in for Callum McGregor and even playing centre-back during defensive injury crises.
However, Iwata has yet to feature in Celtic’s first four games of the season, with the Japanese midfielder last appearing on the bench during the 2-0 win against Hibernian a fortnight ago.
Francis Turley has instead been featured on the bench over the last two weeks, raising the question of what has happened to Tomoki Iwata.
Brendan Rodgers has not yet addressed whether Iwata is injured, leading to speculation about his place in the squad and his future at the club.
With Celtic being linked with a host of holding midfielders this summer, the uncertainty surrounding Iwata’s status continues to grow.
Time will tell whether Iwata remains in Rodgers’ plans or if he could be a surprise exit in the final week of the transfer window.
