Exclusive: Postecoglou to haunt Celtic as Tottenham plot £25m-plus raid for irrepressible star
Tottenham are understood to be keeping close tabs on Celtic forward Daizen Maeda and TEAMtalk has learned how much it’ll take to sign the Japan international.
Spurs added to their wide berths over the summer when completing deals for Brennan Johnson and Manor Solomon. Dejan Kulusevski’s loan from Juventus was also turned permanent.
However, their dominant 5-2 victory over Burnley last time out saw captain Son Heung-min play through the middle.
The South Korean looked a man on a mission when claiming a hat-trick and it is believed centre-forward is a role that could become his own under Ange Postecoglou.
The likes of Jonathan David of Lille and Gent’s Gift Orban were of interest in the summer, whilst Brentford’s Ivan Toney has also been discussed by Spurs.
Toney’s eight-month ban for breaching betting regulations will conclude mid-way through the January window.
Aside from Spurs, Chelsea have also been heavily linked, while Arsenal expert Charles Watts revealed Toney is on Mikel Arteta’s newly-formed striker hitlist.
In any case, despite the arrivals of Johnson and Solomon, TEAMtalk has been told another player who can play wide is being looked at by Spurs ahead of the January window opening its doors.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, 25, is one of the players Tottenham are conducting their due diligence on.
Postecoglou mulling Maeda reunion; Celtic asking price surfaces
The lively Japan international is well known to Postecoglou through the Australian’s time in Glasgow.
Maeda’s versatility – being capable of operating on both the left and right sides – is attractive and Postecoglou knows exactly what he’d be signing.
The winger’s record at Celtic stands at a somewhat modest 19 goals and 13 assists in 76 appearances. However, it’s his relentless engine and willingness to press that has caught the eye.
Maeda signed a new, long-term contract with Celtic on July 6. The winger’s current deal is not due to expire until 2027.
Nonetheless, we understand Spurs are exploring the conditions of a move and it’s believed Celtic would command a similar type of fee to the one collected when selling Jota to Al-Ittihad.
The Saudi Arabian side paid £25m and Celtic would look to recoup that type of sum – if not even more – for Maeda.
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