Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi ‘won’t be able to play’ for the club until January, according to journalist Sean Martin.

The Lowdown: Kobayashi announced

The Scottish Premiership champions announced the signing of the 22-year-old from Vissel Kobe on Wednesday after putting pen to paper on a five-year deal at Parkhead.

Ange Postecoglou has previously worked in Japan so will have a good understanding of the centre-back, and he is now set to link up with his fellow countrymen Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda in Glasgow.

The Latest: Martin’s update

Taking to Twitter, Martin revealed that Kobayashi will officially make the switch next month, though won’t be eligible to participate in any games until the New Year as a result of having to wait until the actual transfer window opens before stepping onto the field. He wrote:

“Kobayashi won’t be able to play until January but club say he will join up with the team in December.”

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The Verdict: Jenz replacement

The Hoops are set to make a decision on the future of Moritz Jenz at the end of the season, so should they decide not to trigger his option to buy, Kobayashi could be a great long-term replacement.

The 6 foot gem has plenty of experience under his belt having made 123 senior appearances throughout his career and offers versatility having also operated at left-back (Transfermarkt).

Celtic have already kept a respectable six clean sheets this campaign, and that number is only likely to increase following Kobayashi’s highly anticipated arrival.