With the January transfer window almost upon us, Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers, has spoken about one player he expects will leave when it opens.
The Celtic manager has been candid on his need to trim the Hoops squad in recent times and it seems like 23-year-old Japanese defender, Yuki Kobayashi, could be the first player to get his exit from the club.
A January signing of this year, has Kobayashi not only struggled to make it in Rodgers’ side, but he also failed to make an impact under Ange Postecoglou.
However, this season, Kobayashi has not seen a minute of first-team action and after Rodgers added the likes of highly-rated Polish defender Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke added to the incredible emergence of Liam Scales, the youngster’s future at Celtic was looking very bleak.
And now, according to The Sun, Kobayashi looks like he will be allowed to leave in the upcoming January window.
Yuki Kobayashi expresses his desire to leave Celtic
So where could Kobayashi look to go? The report suggests that the defender wants to return to Vissel Kobe.
Celtic signed the £8k per week defender from the J League side on a five-year deal and the report says, “Kobayashi, 23, would be keen on a return to old club Vissel Kobe, but SunSport understands a number of J.League sides are eyeing him up.”
Just how many clubs are interested in taking him on is unknown at this time but the former Japan u20 international seems in demand so finding a club for him won’t be a problem moving forward.
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Ange Postecoglou was a huge admirer of the Celtic youngster
The now Spurs manager was a huge admirer of Kobayashi. The Japanese defender was Postecoglous’s fifth signing of his first season and the fact he sanctioned a five-year deal tells you how highly the former Celtic manager rated him.
Postecoglou said at the time [Sky Sports], “I can’t wait to work with him as a coach and the great team of players he has already developed.
“I would like to thank Vissel Kobe sincerely for all the support that has been given to me in the early part of my career and now I look forward to embracing this exciting new challenge with Celtic, one of the world’s great football clubs.”
Brendan Rodgers’ verdict on Celtic defender’s future
The Celtic manager was hugely sympathetic to Kobayashi and also revealed that had he not got injured during pre-season, he would have left in the summer.
Rodgers said, “In fairness to Yuki, he would have gone out on loan and he got injured just before he went out.
“He’s training well, it’s not that he’s doing anything wrong. His attitude has been fantastic, he’s working hard, but we’ve a limited number of centre-halves that we can play.”
TBR Celtic hopes that Kobayashi finds a club that will nurture and develop his undoubted talent. For all he tried, it just didn’t work out for him at Celtic.
In other news, ‘I know’… How Giorgos Giakoumakis actually felt about Harry Kewell’s coaching at Celtic