Ange Postecoglou warns Celtic over Daizen Maeda summer exit

Ange Postecoglou says Celtic would be losing a freakish talent if Daizen Maeda leaves this summer, adding pressure around a move that has been building for weeks. Maeda has been linked with an exit after around four years at Celtic, and the situation is not likely to be settled until after the World Cup.

Postecoglou made the case before Japan’s opening World Cup game against the Netherlands while on pundit duty. He praised Maeda’s end-of-season output and pointed to the forward’s power in front of goal, saying his scoring run late in the campaign was brilliant.

Postecoglou on Maeda

“Martin (O'Neill) put his arm around him I think and got the best out of him, because he was going through a tough time and at the end of it, he was unbelievable,” Postecoglou said. He also said, “He scored an unbelievable overhead kick against Rangers, that's the freakish ability he has, from a physical perspective, to score goals like that.”

That praise fit Maeda’s season. He finished with 17 goals and 10 assists in the campaign just gone, a return that explains why his future has become a live issue this summer.

Maeda’s Celtic output

Martin O’Neill had already singled him out after a late-April performance, saying, “I thought Daizen Maeda’s performance was magnificent individually.” O’Neill added, “He got us a goal out of nothing, which he did last week as well,” before describing the display as one for the Man of the Match award and “like the Man of three matches!”

Postecoglou went further before Japan faced the Netherlands. “I'm really looking forward to seeing him play tonight. He will not be daunted at all. He's got that sort of nature about him, he doesn't care who he's playing against. He knows the physical capacity he has, he'll match himself against anybody,” he said.

Celtic summer decision

Maeda has been at Celtic for around four years, and the transfer talk now sits alongside the club’s summer planning. Postecoglou’s warning leaves Celtic with a clear choice on one of the players most likely to draw serious interest.

For Celtic, the stakes are simple: keep a forward who produced 17 goals and 10 assists, or move on from a player Postecoglou described as having freakish ability. The World Cup window keeps the story open for now, but the pressure around Maeda’s future is already public.