Celtic are brewing the next Maeda in the B team & it's not Daniel Cummings
da esoccer bet： The powers that be at Celtic made a huge call in the recent January transfer window when they sanctioned a move away from Parkhead for Kyogo Furuhashi.
da dobrowin： He had racked up 85 goals in 165 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, proving himself to be a reliable goalscorer for the club over several seasons.
However, Ligue 1 side Rennes came in with an offer of £10m to sign the 30-year-old centre-forward and that was enough for the Hoops to decide to cash in on the Japan international.
Kyogo, who scored 34 goals in the 2022/23 campaign, left big boots to fill as the main man for goals for the Scottish Premiership leaders when he completed his move to France earlier this year.
Celtic, however, have not missed his presence in the number nine position because fellow Japan international Daizen Maeda has stepped up in his absence.
How Daizen Maeda has become the new Kyogo
The 27-year-old attacker has spent the majority of his career at Parkhead playing on either the left or the right flank, starting 120 matches in all competitions in those positions.
Whilst the majority of his appearances this season have also been in those two roles, Maeda has also started seven games as a centre-forward in the absence of Kyogo this term – scoring a staggering 12 goals in those matches.
He has showcased his positional flexibility and his quality at the top end of the pitch with his terrific performances on the wing and as a number nine, as the Japanese dynamo has emerged as the main man for goals at Parkhead.
Maeda has racked up an impressive haul of 28 goals and nine assists in 42 appearances in all competitions for Celtic so far this season, which shows that he has posed a constant threat to opposition defenders as either a winger or a striker.
Celtic’s top scorers
24/25 Premiership
xG
Goals
xG differential
Daizen Maeda
11.5
13
+1.5
Kyogo Furuhashi
14.14
10
-4.14
Nicolas Kuhn
9.32
10
+0.68
Arne Engels
8.76
9
+0.24
Adam Idah
10.28
8
-2.28
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, he is the top scorer for the Hoops in the Premiership this season and has outperformed his xG by more than any of the other top five scorers in the division.
You can also see that he has scored three more goals than Kyogo managed before his departure, despite having almost three less Expected Goals, which speaks to how ruthless he has been in the final third.
Maeda has, therefore, become the new and improved Kyogo for Celtic by leading the way as the go-to man for goals for Brendan Rodgers this season.
The Hoops did not have to go and sign a new player to replace the Rennes striker and they may not have to sign a new player when it comes to eventually replacing Maeda in the future, but his replacement seems unlikely to be Daniel Cummings.
Why Daniel Cummings is not a future star for Celtic
The exciting 18-year-old centre-forward has been making waves in the academy this season with his incredibly prolific performances for the B team.
Cummings, who made his first-team debut against Aston Villa in the Champions League earlier this year, has racked up a staggering 29 goals in 31 matches across the Lowland League and the UEFA Youth League.
The teenage sensation has scored six goals in 12 matches for the Youth League side and 38 goals in 54 outings for the B team throughout his career in the academy to date, including 12 goals in 19 Lowland League games last term.
However, Celtic and their supporters may never get to see him fulfill his potential at Parkhead, because his contract expires this summer and it was recently reported that he is in talks with West Ham over a move to the Premier League side.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
This is why the Hoops youngster may not be a future star or a Maeda replacement for Rodgers, as he could be on his way out of the club at the end of the season, but there is another young striker at the club who could emerge as a key player down the road.
Celtic already have their next Daizen Maeda brewing
Celtic have 21-year-old Johnny Kenny on their books and his contract is not due to expire until the summer of 2026, which means that the youngster is set to be at the club next season – barring any summer transfer away from Glasgow.
The Ireland U21 international returned from his loan spell at Shamrock Rovers in January and has featured in five matches off the bench in all competitions to date, registering one assist.
Kenny has, therefore, not had too many opportunities to showcase his quality in a Celtic shirt yet, but his form for Shamrock Rovers in 2024 suggests that the potential is there for him to emerge as a Maeda-esque star for the club in the future.
The young marksman, who spent the 2023 and 2024 campaigns on loan in Ireland, scored 20 goals in all competitions for his loan club last year, including a return of five goals in six matches in the Conference League.
24/25 Conference League
Johnny Kenny
Starts
6
xG
3.78
Goals
5
Minutes per goal
95
Big chances missed
1
Big chances created
1
Assists
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Kenny was ruthless in front of goal in Europe for Shamrock Rovers, outperforming his xG and only missing one ‘big chance’ in six matches.
He also scored 13 goals in 29 league matches, whilst Maeda has scored 13 goals in 27 Premiership games this term, and this shows that the centre-forward can make an impact domestically and in Europe at the top end of the pitch.
These statistics show that Kenny has already proven himself at senior level, unlike Cummings, but it is now down to the Irish youth international to prove that he can do it in a Celtic jersey.
He has shown that the potential is there for him to be a big goalscoring threat in the number nine position, in domestic football and in Europe, and it is down to him to make the most of any chances that Rodgers gives him to impress, as he could develop into Celtic’s next Maeda up front.
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At the age of 21, there is still plenty of time left for him to develop and improve as a player, and the Hoops can afford to take their time with him, which may also be why losing Cummings to West Ham this summer may not be a disaster – as they already have Kenny.
