KYOGO FURUHASHI’S problems in France have been highlighted after sacked Rennes head coach Jorge Sampaoli insisted he had NOTHING to do with the player’s transfer.
Celtic’s Japanese international striker joined the Ligue 1 club in a £10million switch from the champions in January.
Three days later, boss Sampaoli was fired as the club introduced Habib Beye as his successor.
So far, Kyogo has failed to score after just one start in his five appearances for the team, including a seven-minute cameo in Rennes’ 3-0 win at Angers at the weekend.
UP IN THE AIR…Kyogo Furuhashi in happier times as he celebrates a goal in Celtic’s 4-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle in November.
After 85 goals in three and a half prolific years at Parkhead following his £4.6million arrival from J-League side Vissel Kobe, the 30-year-old raider is firing blanks at his new club.
After only two months in France, there are already reports the forward will be offloaded in the summer and that has led to inevitable speculation he may follow the likes of Kieran Tierney and Filipe Jota and return to the champions.
However, Kyogo’s career is in chaos at the moment and matters have not been helped with fresh revelations from Sampaoli.
The Argentine gaffer, speaking in a report in the Daily Record, said: “The owner of the club is a very important person in France and, frankly, the club was not up to the expectations that I had compared to the market.
“The sports director decided to make a transfer window that had nothing to do with what we needed.”
Sampaoli explained his rapid departure from the club and added: “I could not represent a team which I had not chosen the players in the winter transfer window.”
The rarely-spotted Kyogo will be hoping for a change of luck and a chance to show his qualities when Auxerre are the visitors on Sunday.
