Transfer Centre

Kyogo Furuhashi refuses to rule out Celtic exit amid Tottenham Hotspur links

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 29 June 2023

Furuhashi refuses to rule out Celtic exit amid Spurs links

Celtic forward Kyogo Furihashi refuses to rule out a potential exit from the Scottish giants this summer amid interest from Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur.

Celtic forward Kyogo Furihashi has refused to rule out a potential exit from the Scottish giants this summer amid interest from Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur.

The 28-year-old has established himself as a star player at Parkhead since joining the Hoops from Vissel Kobe in 2021, scoring 54 goals and registering 10 assists in 83 appearances across all competitions.

Furuhashi found the net 34 times in 50 games during Celtic's treble-winning 2022-23 campaign and has won multiple Player of the Year accolades in Scotland.

The Japan international has two years remaining on his contract in Glasgow, but his exceptional form has unsurprisingly caught the eye of a number of clubs including Spurs.

Postecoglou, who signed Furuhashi for Celtic two years ago, is allegedly keen to reunite with the forward in North London, and Tottenham are said to be prepared to fork out between £25m and £30m to recruit him this summer.

Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates with the trophy after winning the Scottish League Cup on February 26, 2023 © Reuters

Newly-promoted Burnley have also been credited with an interest in Furuhashi, while Serie A outfit Lazio are understood to have sent scouts to watch the forward during the 2022-23 season.

Furuhashi has since refused to confirm whether he will remain a Celtic player for the new campaign, but has insisted that he is solely focused on performing at his best for his current club.

Speaking to reporters as quoted by the Daily Record, Furuhashi said: "No comment. The future will bring what the future brings. I am only thinking about doing my best for the club I belong to now."

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon has questioned whether Furuhashi can "play consistently at the highest level in the Premier League" and is unsure if a proposed move to Tottenham would be the right fit for both parties.

"I have my doubts, yes," Lennon told the Daily Mail. "I don't think for one minute that he could replace Harry Kane, for example, if that was to be the case.

Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates scoring their first goal on May 27, 2023 © Reuters

"He's a good player. I like his style. I'm just not sure he could play consistently at the highest level in the Premier League on a week-to-week basis.

"The other thing is that you've got Kane there at the minute, you've got Son [Heung-min], [Dejan] Kulusevski, Richarlison.

"These are world-class players that he'd need to break into if he goes to Spurs. I think he could play in the Premier League but maybe just not at the top end at the minute."

Furuhashi is not the only Celtic player to have been linked with a summer exit as fellow Japan international Reo Hatate has also been linked with a reunion with Postecoglou at Tottenham.

However, the 25-year-old midfielder recently dropped a hint to suggest that he will remain at Parkhead after drawing up a list of personal targets for the new campaign.