Celtic have plenty of players in their squad that are worth tens of millions of pounds.
In fact, TBR Celtic told just last month how four of Celtic’s players were valued at over £10m by a football report that was released just at the start of September.
We also told how Matt O’Riley was given a £20m price tag by journalist, Hugh Keevins, after watching him both domestically and in Europe over the past two seasons.
And now, it’s the turn of Daizen Maeda. The Japanese winger has been outstanding for Celtic this season. His work rate is first class. However, the Japan international does frustrate the Hoops fans with his final delivery and, at times, his finishing.
If he fixed both those parts of his game, former Celtic hero, Peter Grant, says that Maeda would be worth £100m.
Grant said [The Official Celtic FC Podcast], “I think he’s been excellent. The biggest compliment I can pay is that Atletico Madrid, that’s the sort of player they like.
“Someone that works so hard, works as a team player because that’s what Atletico Madrid has built their success on.
“But Maeda has been excellent. People always say his final ball at times and obviously chances he misses at times. But if he had all these things, he’d be worth £100m.”
In a way, I can get what Grant means. If Maeda did have those parts to his game, he wouldn’t be at Celtic. He would be in one of the top five leagues in the world.
The top teams across Europe pay fortunes for players of Maeda’s ilk and if he was at one of the big leagues there is no doubt he would go for something close to the kind of money Peter Grant is talking about.
TBR Celtic told last week how the Japanese winger is working with Harry Kewell to improve his delivery in the final third.
And whilst any chances of seeing major improvements in that area of his game are slim, I would still have Maeda in my side regardless of his faults as he offers so much to Celtic and there is no doubt they are a weaker team without him.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers not happy that 24-year-old Celtic man kept ‘needlessly’ giving the ball away vs Hibernian