This was a story that generated a lot of interest over the last seven days or so.
Ange Postecoglou’s forward planning for this winter’s transfer window has led the Celtic gaffer to identify and pursue Vissel Kobe’s Yuki Kobayashi.
The Japanese central defender looks set to join the Hoops on a free transfer in a move that seems to have upset the Australian-based J League reporter:
Yuki Kobayashi has room to grow but the fact he’s set to join Celtic on a free after the expiration of his contract is madness.
Another talent to Europe is great for Vissel Kobe & the J1 League, but aged 22 with plenty of upside, what were they thinking?
(📸 @visselkobe) pic.twitter.com/ivObQMHf1F
— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) November 6, 2022
To be honest, I can understand where he is coming from as we have had to deal with clubs stealing our top young talents from under our noses for the last two seasons.
Kobayashi is highly rated and has been capped several times for Japan at youth level from u15 right through to u22 level [Vissel Kobe].
Sponichi News in Japan described the left-sided defender as, “He has a reputation for his precise left foot and build-up ability, and Celtic are highly praised for Kobayashi’s ability and potential.”
So it does look like Celtic are getting a quality player, should the deal go through.
This move would end the hunt for that elusive left-sided defender and it also raises question marks on the futures of Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz.
Welsh is already down in the pecking order and would find himself even further out of the picture and any hopes of Jenz landing a permanent deal with the Hoops could be quashed if Kobayashi joins us.
I looked the guy up on Wikipedia and it says he is 30. Unless there is someone playing in the same team with the same name, born June 1992. His Wiki entry maybe completely wrong. But how old is ne really?
There’s two Yuki Kobayashi’s mate. One is a midfielder, the one we are after is a defender.
Welsh hieght I’d a problem defending freekicks corners and throwing most teams rely on when playing hoops pity cause ge has the right attitude
Welsh is still a young man. Put the effort into developing him into a defensive midfield player, I think he would relish the role. This would potentially save Celtic a bundle and we would have someone who could fill in at centre back in a crisis. I think it would also help in Europe to have someone like him in front of the back four.