Yokohama Marinos have confirmed the permanent transfer of Tomoki Iwata to Celtic, following the conclusion of his initial loan period.
Iwata, who was signed in January, followed the same pathway as Daizen Maeda. Celtic initially signed the player on loan, with an obligation to finalise the purchase in the summer. This strategy effectively allows the club to defer the payment of the transfer fee until the summer.
With this arrangement, Iwata now becomes a permanent member of Celtic’s playing staff, and Marinos will receive compensation as per the terms agreed upon in January.
Iwata’s start at Celtic has been relatively quiet, but he had the opportunity to play in the pivotal treble cup final due to an injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers. Interestingly, although Ange Postecoglou viewed Iwata primarily as a defensive midfielder, he was deployed as a centre-back during the final weeks of last season.
Iwata is no stranger to this position, having spent a significant portion of his career as a centre-back in Japan. It will be intriguing to see how Brendan Rodgers, Celtic’s manager, utilises him in the future.
Iwata and Maeda will be back at their old stomping ground this month to play in a pre-season friendly.
