I try not to be cynical when it comes to football players and agents. And that’s been to my detriment over the years. That was why, when Kyogo Furuhashi changed his agent last year and others said it was a bad sign, I was initially willing to give all involved the benefit of the doubt.
Then came the first swirl of rumours linking him to moves elsewhere, starting with the highly improbable Manchester City story, which I dismissed as rubbish the moment I heard it. But it was clear that someone was taking a flyer on that and trying to get the word out that Kyogo would be amenable to a move.
Is that where it began, do you think? With those Man City stories? Is that the moment the player’s head was turned, or was he turned before that by the agents themselves, with assurances that they could get him to a top-five league? Wherever it started, a happy player suddenly wasn’t satisfied at Celtic and was angling for a move. And finally, his agents got him one. But what a disaster it’s been.
The disaster wasn’t predictable as such, but it’s another example of how players can have their heads turned by agents who only want to move them on, not particularly caring whether the move works out to anyone’s satisfaction. We’ve just learned, for instance, that Kyogo wasn’t even wanted by the manager who signed him… so how was this move negotiated? Who was really pushing for it?
It’s turned into a disaster, just as the Jota move turned into a disaster. Agents care about their clients, but only in the way you would care about any asset under your control; it’s all about “what have you done for me lately?” because, of course, the big payday for an agent comes when a player gets his move.
This is why so many players in the modern game end up at clubs that are not suited to their style of play or their career goals. It’s why so many big-five league clubs sign players they don’t know what to do with because they’re surrounded by agents yammering on about who’s available. “Sign this guy, sign that guy.” And this is what you end up with.
I’ve written before on this subject. There should be a warning to every player whose agent is trying to move him to a new club: these people don’t always have the player’s best interests at heart. I don’t know what Kyogo’s agent was thinking, moving him to a club where the manager didn’t want him and had no plan for him.
I don’t know what he was doing moving Kyogo in the first place on the basis that it would improve his chances of playing for the national team when, at Celtic, Maeda has been in the team and in the Japan squad simultaneously since he signed. It hasn’t done him any harm at all playing in Scotland.
Somebody, in an effort to get Kyogo out of Celtic Park, sold him a bill of goods. Agents are not the evil they are sometimes painted as, but there seem to be as many bad ones out there as good ones. And the bad ones are very bad, caring little for their players or their overall career progress. Maybe they get those players more money, but at what price? At what cost? Do you think Kyogo is happier now than he was a few months ago? Do you think he feels a sense of contentment and completion?
I think he probably feels quite the opposite. I don’t think he’s ever been in a worse place. It’s not just that the move has stalled—his career has stalled, and at the worst possible time. This is a player who’s 30 now, and this was supposed to be the move that set him up for the closing stages of his career. It has—just for all the wrong reasons. And amazingly, the same person who sold him on this deal is now being asked to get him out of it. I would tell that guy where to go.
I have seen players leave Celtic and run into disastrous circumstances. Jota’s move to the Middle East was as crazy, stupid, and thoughtless as anything I’d ever seen. But that looks like an absolute no-brainer compared to this because at least that was, as he put it, life-changing money. He has enough of it now that he could literally spend the rest of his career playing for free if he wanted to.
This was supposed to give Kyogo’s career a shot in the arm. Instead, it’s gone backwards. He’s warming the bench, considering himself lucky if he gets on the pitch for two minutes at a time. And I am sympathetic toward the player. But those who gave him that bad advice should be run out of town on a rail. If he’s got any sense at all, he’ll switch agents again and hope the new ones can get him out of France.
To every other player currently at Celtic whose agents are whispering sweet nothings in their ears: you might want to look at the fate of the last guys to leave. Kyogo. Jota. Even Matt O’Riley. The grass is not always greener on the other side. The money might be better, but is that all you’re in it for? For some of these guys, the answer is yes. For others? Well, this is the cautionary tale to end them all.
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Ah don’t think it was bad advice. Ah think he was just at an age, where he wanted to try a different league and if he could dae well financially, then that’s an obvious big plus. Can understand that tbh. He didn’t grow up a Celtic fan, so there wasn’t that type of emotional tie there. Football’s a fickle sport, where your career could end in a heartbeat.
Kyogo suited our style of play. He may not be cut out to play in a side that doesn’t have lots of possession and is constantly looking to get the ball up to the strikers.
Sad to see him go and thanks for the beautiful memories and good luck to him going forward but the grass ain’t always greener on the other side and we’ve not really missed him !
Personally I don’t trust any agents or football executives and think they are on a par with the car purchase scam where someone gets a share of the fee.
Most players are stupid if and agents know this. They should always speak to the actual team manger and watch games involving the team they are thinking of joining. A wee bit of due diligence goes a long way like we keep advising our lowlife neighbours.
I once tasked an employee of the EPL why they paid players £100k a week (it was a while ago) when they can only kick with one foot and play in one position and he said because we can afford to. We can’t blame players for getting their heads turned.
I think the big issue with Agents is the same as with a lot of the jobs not in the spotlight. Nobody knows who these guys are. It’s clearly to a degree the wild west when you have players that are using family members as agents. The money in these deals should be seeing these individuals being some of the brightest minds within finance nevermind football but it’s just another way for money to be extracted out the game pushing the cost of the game up.
Obviosuly there are some excellent agents out there. Simon Jordan & Dara MacAnthony have both stated on Talksport they have dealt/deal with some who genuinely do have the best interest of the players at the forefront but a vast majority & charlatans who just see the potential for immense paydays.
Hopefully when regulators do come in or even if the FAs can decide they cap the earnings of agents. They shouldn’t get a percentage of deals they should be given a fixed sum of money for the sale & the same sum for a contract extension so the incentive is best for the player as they will in the same financial gain whether it’s a sale or a contract renewal.
If they aren’t wearing the green and white hoops, I have no interest in them. He wanted away, he went. Cheerio, thanks for the memories and close the door behind you.
I feel sorry for Kyogo. Your analysis James certainly has a ring of truth about it. I don’t think we could have expected Kyogo to do due diligence himself – he must have thought that was the role of his agent and rightfully so in a decent world. I hope he can get his situation sorted out soon. As you suggest the first step is to change agents.
Jota’s moved made him a multi-millionaire hardly a disaster. Kyogo unlucky, never usually good when you get recruited and the manager punted right away.
I wish him al the best and if we can get him back for £3m great piece of business. A player that can play into his late 30’s imo. We would prolly get an even better player coming back too.
It’s very easy for any potentially greedy, footballer plying their trade in the SPL with Celtic, to believe that the grass is greener elsewhere. Especially when there are so many parasitical ( double) agents, advising them !
It is a short career, and of course, players that arrive from outwith these shores, have no obvious tie, emotional or otherwise, with our great club!!!
We, as passionate fans, worship these guys whilst they are here, and wrongly believe that our passion and success will be enough to retain their services.
Unfortunately, once they attain that level of form that attracts other clubs, and they have the (double) agents whispering in their ears, about the lands of riches, then there is always only going to be one outcome.
You can also throw in our club’s business model of buying them cheap and selling them on at huge profit, at the optimum time, and it’s adios !!!
Kyogo was a great servant to us and his move to France made as much sense then, as it does now !
Complete nonsense!
I hope the wee fella finds a club ( like ours) that appreciates his talent and he finds his happiness again !
I detest the greed in modern football but just have to accept it as a fan !
It can only be hoped that any current Celtic player, being wrongly advised by a ( double) agent, can continue to enjoy a decent wage with us, and enjoy further success!
There is loads more money elsewhere, but what is the true cost of success and happiness?
HH
The Jota, Kyogo and O’Riley moves worry me a little, could this put clubs off paying substantial sums for any of our players when in their experience they turn out not that good