Kyogo is crucial to Celtic in the here and now. But the summer might be different.

Yesterday, most people will be aware that MLS made a bit of a mistake when they published a report claiming Kyogo was signing for Atlanta—at a time when he had just been named in a Celtic team about to play a game.

Naturally, this sent speculation into overdrive. Some of it was sensible, some ridiculous. Some of it was panicked, while other reactions were more measured. There were plenty of people putting two and two together and getting five, but it also sparked an important discussion about when—not if—our Japanese talisman might leave.

First, let me say that I think this was an honest mistake. I don’t believe there were any sinister motives, nor do I think it necessarily indicates that a deal has been discussed, let alone agreed upon. Atlanta may want to sign him, but Celtic will not sell him in the January window. Any speculation to that effect is, in my view, utterly absurd. Even if we had a replacement lined up, that move could wait until the summer. It would make no sense to sanction a sale now.

Suggestions that Kyogo’s departure is inevitable, either in this window or the summer, are also wide of the mark. Nothing about this is inevitable. We have him under contract until 2027, which puts us firmly in control of the situation. Kyogo has never hinted at wanting to leave, and he only recently signed a new four-year deal. Let’s not forget, he’s remains a valuable playing asset for the club.

Now, it’s fair to say this hasn’t been Kyogo’s best season.

A number of people have pointed out his goal-scoring record is below what we might expect from a Celtic striker. But let’s not focus solely on him—this hasn’t been Adam Idah’s vintage season either. Neither player is consistently hitting the back of the net to the degree we’d like. However, this isn’t necessarily down to their individual talents. Instead, it reflects the way we play.

Brendan Rodgers has built a system that doesn’t revolve around feeding the ball to the strikers at every opportunity. Our wide players are encouraged to cut inside, attack defenders, and take shots on goal themselves. That’s why Maeda and Kuhn are both in double figures and occupy the first and second spots on our top scorers list this season.

If we switched up the tactics and focused on getting the ball to the strikers’ feet, rather than allowing wide men to cut inside and take their own shots, our strikers would undoubtedly score more goals. But the team would likely score fewer. That’s the balance, and that’s why Rodgers’ system works so well.

Within that system, both Kyogo and Idah fit nicely and have important roles to play. They’re different types of players, and that’s an advantage—it gives us tactical flexibility. Some days, Kyogo will be the best option to unlock a defence, and on others, Idah will be the better choice.

The beauty of the current setup is that we’re not reliant on either of them to do it all, because there are so many players in this team capable of finding the net. For that reason, I’d be loath to lose Kyogo, either in this window or the summer. I don’t think there’s any possibility of him leaving in January.

However, I do understand that this could be a conversation we revisit come the summer. My perspective might shift by then.

Kyogo will turn 31 soon, and I can see the argument for selling him in the summer. I might not agree it’s the best move, but if it improves the squad and the club’s overall outlook, I’d support it. That’s about trusting the manager and his ability to identify the right players.

Rodgers’ system also makes it easier to contemplate such a change. If the team isn’t dependent on strikers for the bulk of the goals, then swapping Kyogo out for someone else—so long as that player has the qualities Brendan requires—won’t necessarily weaken us.

Kyogo has been an excellent servant to the club, and I hope he stays long enough to reach the 100-goal milestone, which would be a fitting testament to his talent. If we were playing a system where strikers were expected to carry the goal-scoring burden, he’d likely already be over 20 for the season and heading for 30.

I have no doubt he’ll be here until the end of this campaign. If he decides he wants to leave in the summer, I trust the club and the manager to have already planned for it. If Kyogo wants one last payday or a move before his career winds down, I’d fully support that as I would any player, provided he’s given us good service, which he undoubtedly has.

I’m not particularly concerned about how much money we’ll get for Kyogo. It sounds like we’d double our investment, but that’s secondary. The goals he’s scored, and the importance of those goals, mean he’s already repaid his transfer fee. Anything we earn from selling him is just a bonus that can be reinvested.

Ultimately, this is a decision to trust Brendan on.

He knows what the team needs and has a clear plan for its evolution. That plan will not include losing one of our best players in January—a window when we’ll still have European games to navigate and ambitions in the Champions League to pursue. Weakening the squad at such a crucial time would make no sense.

This is why I didn’t write about the initial MLS story—it was too nonsensical to be taken seriously. That said, it’s worth acknowledging that we might be watching Kyogo’s last six months as a Celtic player.

That would have been heartbreaking at the start of the season, but as this campaign has progressed, players like Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn have stepped up with crucial goals. It’s clear this is how the manager wants us to play: a system where a talismanic striker isn’t as vital to the overall setup.

I’ll be sad when Kyogo leaves. I think he’s the best natural striker we’ve had since Larsson. But the search for the next Larsson will always continue. We’ve been lucky to watch a succession of brilliant strikers at this club, especially in the last five years, with players like Dembele, Edouard, and now Kyogo.

Who knows who we’ll be cheering on in the future? Whatever happens, I’m excited for what’s ahead. As long as we have the right man in the dugout—and we do—there’s no reason to worry about which players come and go.

But for now, I’m confident this won’t be an issue for this campaign.

In the summer though? Who knows?

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

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