Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring Celtic forward Daizen Maeda ahead of a possible move in the January transfer window as Ange Postecoglou looks to reunite with his former player, according to TEAMtalk.
The report claims that the Scottish Premier League champions will be demanding £25m for the 25-year-old, the same transfer fee they received for Jota who joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in the summer.
Maeda extended his contract with Brendan Rodgers’ side until 2027 despite being linked with a move to several clubs in the summer transfer window. He has become a fan favourite at Celtic Park following his consistent performances in the past few seasons.
The Japan international has racked up 76 appearances, scored 19 goals, and provided 13 across all competitions, helping Celtic win several titles including the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup, and Scottish League Cup.
He was a mainstay in Celtic’s treble-winning side last season, featuring in 49 games, netting 11 times, and registering seven assists in all competitions. The versatile forward has been ever-present for the Hoops so far this term, making six appearances and recording one assist in the process as they sit at the summit of the league table with 13 points.
Maeda represented Japan at last year’s World Cup in Qatar where he played a key role as the Asian country reached the round of 16.
Attacking reinforcement
Tottenham were one of the busiest sides in the summer bringing in nine players including four forwards. Brennan Johnson, Manor Solomon, Dejan Kulusevski, and Alejo Véliz all moved to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium as part of the summer rebuild at Spurs.
The North Londoners lost their all-time highest goalscorer Harry Kane after the England forward completed a switch to Bayern Munich last month. Postecoglou was keen on replacing the 30-year-old with the signing of Véliz and Johnson but he is still in the market to bring in another forward.
Both forwards are yet to make a start this season after completing their moves from their respective clubs. Veliz is deemed not ready for first-team action yet, hence the former Celtic manager has set sights on signing Maeda in January.
A move for Maeda would be an excellent signing for Spurs as the Japanese could play across the frontline.
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