CELTIC J-LEAGUE TARGETS: NO, SPURS SIGNING TAKAI WILL NOT IMPACT FEES
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
Unfortunately, Celtic, it seems, have now missed the boat with regards to one of the most exciting players to come out of Japan in years. 20-year-old central defender Kota Takai has opted to move to Spurs according to multiple sources in Japan.
For his sake, I hope they treat him better than they did former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou.
I’ve been saying for a while now that Celtic should have made a move for the young defender, who I think will go on to be a star in the EPL, and hopefully get a move to a larger club, one that actually appreciates winners.
Celtic J-League Deals Won’t be Affected by Takai Move, and Here’s Why
Anyway, I have seen concerns raised by some sources online today that Takai’s record-breaking move could potentially impact Celtic’s possible double swoop for Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura.
Takai will cost Spurs 5 million pounds, according to reports, smashing the J-League Transfer record for a Japanese player leaving a Japanese club.
The concern expressed in this morning’s reports is that Kawasaki Frontale, and Albirex Niigata respectively, may now demand similar fees for Yamada and Inamura.
This will not be the case, and we can actually look at Celtic’s own previous dealings in the J-League market as a precedent.
For a bonus point, can anybody tell me who holds the current record for the highest fee paid for a Japanese player leaving the J-League?
Well, it’s none other than former Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi. Celtic around 4.5 million for Kyogo when we signed him from Vissel Kobe back in 2021.
However, that move didn’t trigger an arms-race in the J-League, with every club suddenly demanding similar money. Indeed, Celtic have since signed four other Japanese players, all for fees significantly less than what we paid for Kyogo.
At the time, Celtic paid an exceptional fee for someone whom our manager at the time, the aforementioned Ange Postecoglou, regarded as an exceptional player.
Considering everything Kyogo did for Celtic over his time with us, I think most would agree Big Ange was spot on in his assessment.
The same is the case now for Kota Takai. There has been rumors of interest from clubs in Italy, Spain and Germany before Spurs stepped in.
They are paying a premium because, as I have already said many times, Takai is an extremely promising player. You would do well to find a player with a similar profile in one of the top European leagues for less than 15-20 million.
Now, as much as I believe that Celtic have unearthed two potential gems in Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, neither is on the same level as Kota Takai. This is someone who has already become a full international at just 20 years old.
Yamada and Inamura may well soon join him as regulars in the Samurai Blues squad, if indeed they do join Celtic, and do well in Europe.
However, if they do join Celtic, it will be for similar fees to those we paid for Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda. Two players who also showed fantastic potential in the J-League, but were unproven outside their homeland until they joined Celtic.
As I’ve previously stated, our hit rate with Japanese players in recent times is around 50-50, so any player we sign from there poses a risk. However the same is true of any transfer, regardless of nationality.
Thankfully, The J-League is structured in such a way that the financial outlay for clubs like Celtic who choose to take a chance on these players, remains minimal.
That will not change, regardless of how much one EPL club decides to pay for one player.
