CELTIC target Daizen Maeda has taken a step closer to a reunion with Ange Postecoglou with news Yokohama F Marinos are about to sign his replacement.
The J-League outfit are poised to complete a deal to sign striker Takuma Nishimura to cover when their 17-goal forward, the top-flight’s leading scorer, heads for Parkhead, according to a report in his homeland.
Maeda, 24, appears to be on the brink of joining his international team-mate Kyogo Furuhashi in Scotland in next month’s transfer window.
The pacy left-sided raider is well known to Postecoglou who signed him for the Yokohama club in February.
The J-League has now been completed for the campaign and their pre-season window opens on January 10 with Nishimura said to be lined up to leave Sendai as Maeda’s replacement.
Postecoglou has already revealed that everyone at Parkhead is “working very hard” to get deals and work permits in place to introduce new players next month.
J-League stars Reo Hatate, a versatile left-sided defender, and midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi have already been mentioned as possibilities for a move to the Hoops as the Greek-Australian gaffer continues his squad rebuild which saw 12 players arrive in the summer.
