Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - January 14, 2023. Celtic's Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring.
Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has confirmed that finishing the 2022/23 season strongly is his ‘only priority’ amid exit links.
The Lowdown: Southampton interest
The Scottish Premiership star isn’t out of contract at Parkhead until 2026, but following a string of impressive performances for Japan at the World Cup, caught the eye of one club in particular.
Premier League side Southampton were credited with an interest in the 25-year-old in January, though no official contact was ever made before the deadline.
The Hoops winger was forced off the pitch with a knee injury during Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over Hearts, with Ange Postecoglou confirming post-match that he would face a wait to see if he would available for the next fixture.
The Latest: Maeda’s comments
Speaking to an outlet in his homeland, Maeda reaffirmed his commitment to Celtic and shut down speculation that he could be considering a move elsewhere.
As quoted by Football Scotland, he said:
“Right now, I’m not thinking about the future at all. I just won one of the domestic cups with Celtic, but I still have another cup and league title left to win this season. That is my only priority.
“Personally, I would like to achieve double-digit goals and assists. Until this season, I had almost no assists even though I scored a few goals.
“This season, my assists have increased and I would like to think that’s been linked to our results. If I want to be a part of the next World Cup in the USA, then there are still many things here at Celtic that I need to do.”
The Verdict: Keep hold of him
Maeda has been dubbed a ‘livewire’ by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand and Celtic need to do everything they can to keep hold of him should more interest build in the summer.
The Bhoys ace has posted 16 goal contributions in 38 appearances across all competitions this season, putting a total of 37 crosses into the box during that time, providing a constant threat.
The Taishi native is also a useful option for the boss to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur ,with his flexibility to play in five various positions an added string to the bow.
Postecoglou has previously publicly praised Maeda for his excellent work ethic, showing how highly he values him, so the thought of losing his services would be a huge blow.
Keep or sell Maeda?
Keep
Sell
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