CHRIS SUTTON insists Daizen Maeda’s impending move to Ipswich Town is a “bad deal for Celtic and Maeda.”
The Japanese striker is poised to rubberstamp a £10million switch to the newly-promoted Premier League outfit to end his four-and-a-half year career at Parkhead.
Maeda saw a £14million switch to Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg collapse last summer, but it appears the transfer to Portman Road is just about sealed and ready to be delivered.
Former goal hero Sutton is clearly unimpressed and took to X to say: “Maeda is worth much more than £10 million and will find himself playing Championship football the following season. Bad deal for Celtic and Maeda…”
The move was forecast by CQN in a report prior to Martin O’Neill’s champions’ 3-1 Scottish Cup Final triumph over Dunfermline at Hampden on May 23, a showpiece in which the pacy Japanese ace scored the opening goal.
In the previous season, it was the £1million buy from Yokohama F Marinos in January 2022 who stepped up to answer the call to replace Kyogo Furuhashi after his international team-mate switched to French outfit Rennes in a £10million deal in January 2025.
Maeda moved in from his usual left-wing berth to lead the attack and fired in 18 goals on his way to an astounding 33 strikes as the Hoops claimed a fourth consecutive title.
And it was the 28-year-old speedster who rallied to the cause again when he claimed seven crucial goals in five Premiership outings after the split to propel the team to an extraordinary championship success.
With his contract about to expire next summer, Maeda had the opportunity to bow out in style at the national stadium against Neil Lennon’s Fifers.
At the time, O’Neill commented: “Daizen has said that if he could get a chance to play in the Premier League, he would want to. I certainly wouldn’t stop him.
FINAL FAREWELL…Daizen Maeda holds aloft the Scottish Cup in his last Celtic appearance.
“He deserves it. He has paid his dues at this football club – massively.
“Daizen’s last seven weeks have been absolutely Larssonesque.
“He has been the galvanising drive for us. He has been amazing.
“Daizen started to score the goals and the boy grabbed the whole thing.”
Maeda won 10 honours at the Hoops – five titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
Looks like Ipswich Town are getting a bargain.
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