Celtic are continuing their pursuit in their attempts to sign forward Daizen Maeda and midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, Anthony Joseph reports.

The Lowdown: Maeda and Ideguchi profiled

Maeda and Ideguchi are plying their trade in Japan’s J1 League, with the pair both regulars in 2021.

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Versatile striker Maeda, who can also play on the wing, has scored 23 times and has registered three assists in 40 appearances in all competitions for Yokohama F. Marinos.

Meanwhile, Ideguchi, who plays for Gamba Osaka, can turn out as a central or attacking midfielder and has made 41 appearances this calendar year.

The Hoops have been confident of signing Maeda since October, while links to Ideguchi have only just emerged, and Joseph has provided updates on the pair.

The Latest: Joseph’s tweet

Sky Sports reporter Joseph took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to share a number of Hoops updates.

One of those was on Maeda and Ideguchi, on which he said:

“Celtic are continuing their pursuit of Yokohama F Marinos forward Daizen Maeda and Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi.”

The Verdict: Nicholson not giving up

January looks set to be a busy first transfer window for interim CEO Michael Nicholson, and it seems as if he is doing everything he can to bring a number of Japanese stars to Scotland to join Kyogo Furuhashi.

Reo Hatate looks like he could be the first J1 League arrival in the New Year with the 24-year-old keen on a Parkhead swoop.

However, it seems as if Nicholson and co may need to work harder to make a breakthrough in any moves for Maeda and Ideguchi, with the pair possibly bolstering Postecoglou’s midfield and attacking ranks even further.

In other news: 'Outstanding' star may miss 4 games as Celtic issues worsen pre-Betis.