Celtic’s Potential Loss of Leeds United Target Would Be a Major Setback, Says Former Attacker

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Former Scottish top-flight player Tam McManus believes that if Celtic loses Daizen Maeda, currently linked with Premier League club Leeds United, it would be a significant setback.

The 28-year-old Japanese forward was the subject of transfer rumors last summer, with Brentford expressing strong interest, while Fenerbahce also showed interest.

Although Maeda had a slow start to the season, a Celtic legend backed him to regain form, and he has since proved his worth by scoring three goals in the last four Scottish Premiership matches under interim manager Martin O’Neill.

As the winter transfer window approaches, Maeda is again attracting attention and is reportedly on Leeds United’s radar.

Leeds finished the summer window without adding the sought-after attacking reinforcement, failing in their late pursuit of Fulham’s Harry Wilson.

McManus asserts that Celtic must retain Maeda, noting that the forward has regained his form.

He emphasizes that Maeda’s departure in the January transfer window could represent a significant loss for the club, regardless of any potential agreement between the player and Celtic regarding a move.

“I think obviously there was a lot spoken about in the last summer window about his move to Brentford”, McManus stated on PLZ Soccer (3:20).

“He had been promised a move from Celtic, but it did not happen because Celtic quite certainly could not afford to let him go after letting Adam Idah go.

“They were really short in the forward area, so whether that gentleman’s agreement is still in place in this coming window, I don’t know, but Celtic need him.

“I think he starts the press up there. He is back to scoring goals.

“He is back to his best under Martin O’Neill and I am sure that Wilfried Nancy will look at him as a key player. Whether there’s an arrangement with his agent and the club for him to move to Brentford in January or another team remains to be seen.

“But if he left Celtic while performing at this level, it would be a huge loss.”

The potential moves for Maeda from Leeds, Brentford, or another Premier League side will become clearer as January approaches, but Celtic faces its own attacking challenges.

The club moved on from Adam Idah in the summer and previously lost Kyogo Furuhashi, impacting their available resources.