IT’S NOT certain if Kyogo Furuhashi watched Rennes in action during their Ligue 1 encounter against AS Monaco at the Louis 11 Stadium yesterday.
However, if the Japanese international striker, who is poised to seal his £8.5million switch from Celtic tomorrow, did take the opportunity to have a first look at his new team he would have witnessed some x-certificate stuff.
The struggling French club toppled to a 3-2 defeat – their TWELFTH top-flight loss in 19 games – and they will be plunged into the automatic relegation places if Nantes get a draw or a win when they face Lyon at home later this afternoon.
THE LAST HURRAH…Kyogo Furuhashi heads in his second – and final – goal in the 4-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall earlier this month as he gets in front of a defender to make contact and (below) keeper Jordan Imassah is helpless as the ball flies towards it target.
Only goal difference is separating the clubs at the moment with both teams tied on 17 points with Kyogo’s side having played one game more than their drop rivals.
Le Havre sit on 13 points, one ahead of rock-bottom Montpellier.
Two goals in five minutes in Monaco propelled Rennes to yet another reverse. It was balanced at 1-1 at the interval before Mika Biereth put the home side ahead in the 52nd minute and Aleksandr Golovin added a quickfire third.
Amine Gouiri’s 67th-minute strike was a mere consolation for head coach Jorge Sampaoli and his crestfallen players.
Kyogo is likely to make his debut a week today against mid-table Strasbourg who currently have 10 more points than Rennes.
The 30-year-old former Hoops fans’ favourite appears to have swapped the pursuit of silverware for battle for survival.