Manchester City have sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid and as per reports, the Premier League side are looking at Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi as the possible replacement.
Alvarez’s exit was a bit shocking but Pep Guardiola is refusing to lose any sleep because right now, MCFC are in full throttle to try and sign a long-term replacement before deadline day. Several names are being linked with City right now and one of the names that seemingly ranks high on the list is that of Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi.
Who is Kyogo Furuhashi?
Kyogo Furuhashi is a Japanese international who joined Celtic FC in 2021 and in 135 appearances, the forward has scored 73 goals along with 16 assists.
Last season, he played 38 Premiership matches and the 29-year-old had an xG of 19.11 from 37 shots on target. He had made only 213 successful passes but Kyogo is a proper goal machine who created 24 major chances. The Japanese is not great at holding up play or linking with his fellow forwards but inside the box, he is a proper poacher and predator.
Kyogo Furuhashi signed a contract extension with Celtic until 2027 but the forward is currently out with a shoulder injury. This shoulder problem has been troubling him since before he joined Celtic and there are some rumours that he might have to opt for surgery.
On the international front, he has been a full-time Japanese international since 2019 and to date, he’s played 21 times for the national team.
Are Man City serious about signing the Japanese international?
Currently, Erling Haaland is the only major centre-forward in the squad so the club will have to bring in a new striker before deadline day.
However, we do not think that MCFC are serious about going after Kyogo Furuhashi for various reasons.
Firstly, Manchester City have bagged a lot of money from selling Julian Alvarez so it makes no sense for them to go after someone whom they can grab for €20-25 million.
Secondly, Pep Guardiola will want to sign someone young and energetic but Kyogo Furuhashi is 29 years old. He is already at his peak and at best, the Celtic man has one or two top-class seasons left in him.
Lastly, Guardiola will want a player who can not only play in tandem with Haaland but at the same time, he can slot in the No. 10 along with Kevin de Bruyne. Kyogo might be a top-class centre-forward but he does not have the attributes of playing the link role and setting up play.
Manchester City’s interest has probably come from their current assistant manager Juan Manuel Lillo who had previously worked with Kyogo Furuhashi when he was managing Vissel Kobe. Lillo has seen the Celtic forward from close quarters which is probably why his name has been put on the wishlist but we seriously doubt if the defending Premier League champions will make any sort of serious move.
