Celtic made a bold decision in the January transfer window when Rennes came knocking to sign their star striker Kyogo Furuhashi on a permanent deal.
The Japan international had scored 85 goals and provided 19 assists in 185 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, including an incredible return of 34 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.
Despite his fantastic record for the club, Celtic agreed to sell the Japanese centre-forward for a reported fee of £10m to the French side, leaving Adam Idah as the team’s only natural number nine.
Instead of dipping into the market before the end of the January transfer window, Brendan Rodgers opted to put his faith in Daizen Maeda as a striker, saving the club millions on a new signing.
The Japanese forward has stepped up to be the alternative to Idah up front, whilst also still being an option on the flanks when needed, and has been a star for the Hoops with his goals this season.
Why Daizen Maeda is Celtic's most important player
The Celtic star, who was described as “electric” by John Collins, is the team’s most important player because of the quality he can provide in front of goal, as well as his incredible work rate out of possession.
Last season, Rodgers claimed that the forward “has the work rate of two players” and this speaks to how important he is to the side off the ball, as the versatile attacker can constantly close down opposition defenders and midfielders when they have the ball to win it back for the Hoops.
The 27-year-old attacker has also been the biggest threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants, with 30 goals and nine assists in 44 matches in all competitions.
He has scored at least 12 more goals than any of his teammates, with Nicolas Kuhn in second with 18, and has been directly involved in at least seven more goals than any other player in the squad, with Kuhn in second again with 32 goal contributions.
Appearances (starts)
29 (25)
Goals
15
Big chances missed
15
Conversion rate
30%
Key passes per game
1.2
Big chances created
8
Assists
7
As you can see in the table above, Maeda has provided a constant threat in the final third in the Scottish Premiership, with 23 goals and assists in 25 starts.
These statistics illustrate how important the Japan international is to Rodgers’ side with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, which is why he is the most important player in the squad when you couple that with the work he does off the ball to help out defensively.
Despite his importance to the side and his sensational performances on the pitch in all competitions this season, Maeda is not currently in the top three earners at Parkhead.
The top ten earners at Celtic
Per Salary Sport, Kyogo was in the top three with £19k-per-week before his £10m transfer to Rennes was completed in January, whilst Maeda is currently on £18k-per-week.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor are reportedly the two highest-earning stars at Parkhead on £37k-per-week, significantly more than the Japan international’s £18k-per-week.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
£37k
Callum McGregor
£37k
James Forrest
£19k
Daizen Maeda
£18k
Alistair Johnston
£16k
Reo Hatate
£16k
Arne Engels
£16k
Adam Idah
£16k
Luis Palma
£16k
Greg Taylor
£15k
As you can see in the table above, Maeda is currently fourth in the wage bill, still ahead of the likes of Reo Hatate, Arne Engels, and Alistair Johnston, and is behind James Forrest.
The long-serving academy graduate is reportedly on a wage of £19k-per-week, earning more than a handful of first-team stars, despite being a squad player, at best, this season.
With this in mind, Rodgers must consider ruthlessly axing the Scottish forward from the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, as there could be a better use for the money they are spending on his wages.
Why Celtic should move on from James Forrest
The 33-year-old winger is heading into the final year of his current contract at Parkhead and it may be best for the club to either move him on permanently or to send him out on loan for the season to go and play regular football, recouping a percentage of his wages for the campaign in the process.
Forrest has not done enough on the pitch in the current term to justify being one of the top three earners at the club, or to justify a regular place in the team in the 2025/26 campaign, which is to be expected at his age.
The experienced dud showed signs of life in the 2023/24 season, with a very respectable return of seven goals in 28 appearances in all competitions, but he has failed to deliver on the pitch this year.
Forrest cost his side in the 1-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-table St. Johnstone last weekend when he failed to beat the goalkeeper from close range after Adam Idah put the ball on a plate for him in the middle of the box, with Celtic losing 1-0 at the time.
Appearances
22
17
Goals
6
0
Big chances missed
6
3
Conversion rate
16%
0%
Big chances created
3
3
Assists
1
4
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish forward has not scored a single goal in the Premiership this season, despite having three ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net.
In fact, Forrest has not scored a single goal in 25 appearances in all competitions this term. The likes of Greg Taylor, Auston Trusty, Jeffrey Schlupp, and Alistair Johnston – who all play in defence – have outscored him by scoring once in all competitions.
This illustrates just how poor the experienced winger has been in front of goal, which was on full display when he missed a chance to draw Celtic level at the weekend.
There is no doubt that Forrest has been an excellent servant for the club, scoring 109 goals in 520 matches to date, but his form this season suggests that this summer would be the right time to ruthlessly ditch him, whether permanently or on loan, due to his high wages compared to other players who play week-in-week-out and contribute more in the final third.
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When you consider that Maeda has scored 30 goals in all competitions, playing in a similar position, and reportedly earns less than him, it seems to be the right call to move on from Forrest this summer.