Football
Exclusive: Everton Ready to Offer Celtic Star Daizen Maeda a Premier League Escape Route
Celtic star Daizen Maeda is wanted by Everton after expressing desire to leave. The 27-year-old forward scored 33 goals last season but struggle this season. Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers blocked Maeda's move, leaving his career in limbo. Everton is planning to bid for Maeda in January.
Celtic FC v Heart of Midlothian FC - William Hill Premiership by Ian MacNicol | Getty Images
Everton are ready to offer wantaway Celtic star Daizen Maeda a way out of his Scottish predicament, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Japan international Maeda was set to leave the Scottish champions earlier this month, but Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers blocked the move.
Maeda later revealed that he had agreed personal terms with the club in question, which remains unknown, and as a result of the move falling through his career has been left in limbo.
“There were some things that I had agreed to personally, so I wanted to take on the challenge,” revealed Maeda after the deal collapsed.
“I had received an offer, and I had been telling the club that I wanted to take the next step, but Celtic hadn’t been able to make any good reinforcements, so in the end they told me they couldn’t let me leave.”
Last season the 27-year-old scored a staggering 33 goals to help Celtic win the league crown and Scottish League Cup, narrowly missing out on a magnificent Treble after a surprise defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final.
However, this season Maeda, affected by a failed move away, has scored just twice in 11 games for the Hoops.
And our sources have now learnt the Toffees are already lining up a bid to try and sign Maeda when the January transfer window opens.
Maeda initially joined the Hoops on loan from Japanese outfit Yokohama F. Marinos in December 2021, before signing a permanent deal with the club.
NEW CHALLENGE
His success on the pitch led to a new four-year deal in July 2023, but after an impressive 64 goals in 119 games in all competitions for the Hoops, Maeda’s mind is now set on a new challenge.
And although Everton hope they then can tempt the 25-cap international to the Premier League, interest is expected to grow in his prized signature across the continent prior to transfers being able to be done again.
Though, Hoops boss Rodgers has stressed Maeda has to stay professional and regain his focus for the Scottish champions.
"This is a guy who's given absolutely everything for this club," Rodgers said.
"But it's so important that you don't get caught up in this mentality of 'it's not fair' because it's very dangerous territory and it's hard to move on from."
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.