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Celtic face a battle to retain the services of last season’s top scorer
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Celtic star Daizen Maeda is attracting attention from a number of clubs south of the border after an incredible individual campaign which saw him rack up 33 goals and 12 assists in 51 matches across all competitions.
The Japanese forward was pivotal in helping Brendan Rodgers’ side to a domestic double and also showcased his quality on Europe’s elite stage with four goals at Champions League level. It marks a career best season for Maeda since arriving from Yokohama F. Marinos in 2022 and has made the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United take notice of the 27-year-old as they aim to make huge improvements in the Premier League during the 2025/26 season after a hugely underwhelming league campaign last time out.
Jose Mourinho’s side Fenerbache, who finished runners-up in the Turkish Super Liga last term, are also thought to be among the contenders to sign Maeda, with Record Sport even claiming that a £21m offer could be in the pipeline for a man ‘touted’ as a Spurs and Hammers option. Brendan Rodgers has hinted in the past that he may be forced to sell some of his best talents this summer. However, Maeda’s latest comments will likely come as great reading for Celtic supporters, who will hope to have their starman at Parkhead for at least another season.
Daizen Maeda outlines comments on Celtic exit links
Daizen Maeda has claimed that there is still room for improvement at Celtic despite a stellar campaign which saw the Hoops win a double. The season notably ended in heartbreak with a Scottish Cup defeat to Aberdeen, while in Europe despite an improved showing, the club crashed out before reaching the knockout stage after a round-of-16 play-off defeat to newly crowned German champions Bayern Munich.
Maeda said: "I really enjoyed playing in the Champions League this season because there were so many games and it gave us a lot of different challenges.I think the new format has been great and I am excited to try it again this upcoming season. It helped me improve.
"We played some great teams. Personally, I actually thought the best side we played was Atalanta because they didn't appear to have any weaknesses. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were very strong, but they had some weaknesses in their team, but when we played Atalanta, there was nothing for us to work on.
“When we faced Dortmund, we chose to go head-on with them and lost seven goals. It was this defeat that made us realise that it is unrealistic to go toe-for-toe against strong teams at this stage. That is why we learned from our mistakes and turned to a pragmatic approach. I scored four goals and was happy with my performances.”
Commenting on the Scottish Cup final defeat, Maeda added: "We had a chance to win the treble, but lost the Scottish Cup Final on the last day of the season so I still think we have room for improvement at Celtic. Personally, although everyone spoke about how I scored more goals, I think my increase in assists were more satisfying for me.
"I like to defend too. It's muscle memory for me. When the team loses the ball, because I am the first line of defence, my body will instinctively start chasing back. This defensive awareness has been deeply rooted in my bones and I don't need to think about it."
Champions League qualification could play crucial role in Daizen Maeda future
Celtic performed admirably in the Champions League to finish in 21st out of 36 teams. They hammered Slovan Bratislava 5-1 and earned victories against BSC Young Boys and RB Leipzig at Parkhead while earning a point against then Europa League holders Atalanta, Belgian champions Club Brugge and 2024 Croatian champions Dinamo Zabreg.
Daizen Maeda was particularly prevalent in that competition and will be desperate to compete in it again after last season’s showing. However, Champions League qualification is far from a formality for the Hoops, who will have to play a two-legged play-off to ensure their place in the competitions, due to Scotland’s low UEFA Co-efficient.
Winning that fixture could prove decisive in their quest to keep the 27-year-old as Maeda begins preparing himself for the 2026 World Cup with Japan in North America.