ALEX’S ANGLE: KYOGO OR KENNY?

IT’S THAT time of year when the rumour factory goes into overdrive with the opening of another transfer window edging ever closer.

I doubt if anyone is surprised the name Kyogo Furuhashi is being flagged up as a possibility for a Celtic team in dire need of striking options while the former fans’ favourite struggles to make an impact at Championship side Birmingham City.

It was a similar story back in January when Kyogo was spirited out of the champions in the direction of French outfit Rennes.

It borders on the unfathomable to acknowledge the Japanese frontman’s last league goal came while wearing green and white hoops during a 4-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall on January 11. He netted a double that afternoon before saying sayonara just two weeks later.

The lightning-swift raider netted a hat-trick on his Parkhead debut when Ange Postecoglou’s side romped to a 6-0 victory over Dundee on August 8 2021 and added another 82 strikes before making a surprise exit.

THE LAST HURRAH…Kyogo Furuhashi heads in Celtic’s fourth goal in the 4-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall on January 11 – the Japanese striker’s last league goal.

But he didn’t claim a solitary counter in Ligue 1 before Chris Davies, former Hoops No.2 to Brendan Rodgers, took him to the Midlands club in the summer as he geared up for back-to-back promotions.

Ironically, the Irishman okayed Kyogo’s switch almost a year ago and the money men must have thought it was good business to receive £10million for a 30-year-old player who had possibly enjoyed his best days in Glasgow, scoring goals regularly and lifting eight honours.

Rodgers must have believed Adam Idah, the club’s second most expensive purchase at £9.5million the previous summer, possessed the qualities required to slip seamlessly into the main striking role and everything would be hunky dory.

As we know to our considerable cost, that’s not how it turned out. Idah, six years Kyogo’s junior, did claim 20 strikes over the period of his first permanent season and, on the face of it, that may have looked like a reasonable return. The Republic of Ireland international even expressed his satisfaction with the goal haul.

The stats disguised the very real fact that the former Norwich City reserve struggled in the role as main man.

Following the departure of Kyogo, Rodgers was forced to bring in Daizen Maeda from the flank to carry the burden and the man with the Duracell battery did astonishingly well on his way to a 33-goal tally and multiple Player of the Year awards. But he was never going to be the long-term answer.

The focus was still on Idah at the start of the current campaign and red flags were waving when he was dragged off at half-time in the dismal goalless draw against Kairat Almaty in the first leg of the Champions League qualifier at Parkhead.

Asked about the non-appearance of the expensive frontman in the second-half, Rodgers brusquely answered: “Adam’s a good boy. He’s an honest boy. He hasn’t quite started how he would have liked.

“But in games like these here, I can’t afford to wait and that’s why I made the change.”

Shortly afterwards, Idah was on his way to Swansea City in a cut-price £6.5million transfer.

PARADISE…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates one his 85 Celtic goals.

It’s preposterous Celtic have yet to properly find a suitable successor to Kyogo. It’s even more eyebrow-raising when you consider the club might replace Kyogo…with Kyogo.

He is under contract at St Andrews until June 2028, but even Davies has admitted his player is frustrated about how things are working out in the Midlands.

Kyogo has made 16 appearances in the English second tier as has yet to score. His lone goal for the club came in a 2-1 League Cup win over Sheffield United in August.

Since then, zilch.

Remember, please, this is a player who is desperate to get into the Japanese World Cup Finals squad. He may just be as eager to rejoin Celtic as the club could do with his cut and thrust at the business end of the pitch.

Kyogo will celebrate his 31st birthday next month and that will be undoubtedly reflected in any fee an interested club may be willing to pay for someone in that age group. Plus the player would be looking for a similar wage scale and length of contract he is already guaranteed at St Andrews.

Some haggling would be required, but it shouldn’t be mission impossible.

Put it this way, who would you prefer to lead the Celtic attack in the Glasgow derby on January 3 – Kyogo Furuhashi or Johnny Kenny?

I know who would get my vote.