Celtic fans were rocked by the recent Daizen Maeda revelation.
Maeda wanted to leave the Hoops in the summer, but a transfer exit was eventually denied by the club because they did not have enough signings.
He is contracted to Celtic until the summer of 2027, but a January transfer window exit now seems extremely likely for the Japanese international.
However, Open Goal pundit and former Celtic winger Paul Slane doesn’t think Maeda is the only player in the squad who wants a transfer exit.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesPaul Slane thinks Reo Hatate also wants Celtic exit
Slane believes Maeda’s compatriot Reo Hatate will be angling to leave Celtic soon too because of his ambition to play for Japan at the 2026 World Cup.
He thinks Hatate will be giving himself the best chance of making the Japan squad for the World Cup if he makes a move to a top European league, such as the Premier League.
Asked initially by Andy Halliday if Maeda’s drop in form is a result of him wanting to leave Celtic, Slane replied: “100% and I think, and it’s not came out, another one based on that is Hatate.
“I think he’s dropped so much as well and it kind of looks like that to me. I think he will be in the same boat as Maeda.
“He’s done a lot at Celtic and he’s probably thinking: ‘Right, this is my time (to leave)’. Especially with the World Cup coming up, I think those players will want to go down to the Premier League.
“I think it will give them a better chance of starting for Japan. I would almost say they will be looking at this season and wanting to go to one of the biggest leagues to give themselves a chance.”
Hatate wants to play in the Premier League
Back in July 2024, Hatate gave an interview to Japanese media and said he wants to ‘challenge’ himself to reach a top European league.
The midfielder mentioned the Premier League, as well as La Liga and Serie A. Hatate was linked with Udinese earlier this year, but the speculation died down over the summer.
Photo by Visionhaus
Hatate said at the time: “There are still many higher leagues [in Europe], so if I can challenge for those leagues, I want to do so.
“Unless I aim for that, there is no point in continuing as an athlete, so I want to keep aiming high. I would like to play in the Premier League, as well as in Spain and Italy, which I am personally interested in.”