CELTIC goal hero Chris Sutton has urged Kyogo Furuhashi to give Martin O’Neill a prompt answer if the champions follow up interest in bringing back their former prolific hitman.
The Hoops have been linked with the Japanese striker who claimed 85 goals in 165 games in his first spell after his £4.75million arrival from J-League outfit Vissel Kobe in July 2021 as one of Ange Postecoglou’s first signings in his Parkhead revolution.
Kyogo, of course, quit Parkhead a year ago in a £10million switch to French top-flight club Rennes before returning to the UK with Birmingham City in the summer.
Amazingly, the speedy attacker has not scored a solitary league goal since hitting a double for Celtic in a 4-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall on January 11 last year, as CQN reported yesterday.
AT THE DOUBLE…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates one of his two strikes in Celtic’s 4-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall on January 11 2025 – his last league goals in almost a year.
O’Neill, preparing for tomorrow’s visit of Dundee United as he kick-starts his second interim period in charge of the team this season, desperately requires strengthening his squad, in particular up front.
Johnny Kenny has been struggling in recent games while Kelechi Iheanacho has been sidelined with hamstring problems.
Looking at the situation, Sutton, posting on X, said: “I’d take Kyogo back, but this can’t rumble on much longer. Either he wants to come back or not.
“I loved him at Celtic, but he’s had a stinker since he left. He owes it to the club to make a quick decision.
“If he needs convincing as being reported then the club should look elsewhere.”
O’Neill is hoping to get business done before the 3pm kick-off against Jim Goodwin’s team who took three points off Wilfried Nancy’s side last month after coming back from a one-goal deficit in the first-half of a game in which Kenny missed a succession of excellent opportunities.
It cost the champions when the home side retaliated after the break and stuck two past Kasper Schmeichel to seal an unlikely victory.
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