Latest news with #Kyogo
STV News
a day ago
- Sport
- STV News
Chris Sutton: Celtic are weaker than last season and need to strengthen
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton says the champions' squad is not as strong now as it was at the end of last season and the club needs to add signings. Kieran Tierney, Shin Yamada and Benjamin Nygren are among those already recruited this summer but the squad has seen some high-profile deparrtures over the last year. Manager Brendan Rodgers has talked about his wish to add quality so he can continue the progress made last season in Europe alongside domestic success and has suggested he wants more new arrivals who are first team starters. Sutton thinks it's evident that the club need to be moving soon to make new additions. 'I think there's still work to be done for Celtic in the transfer season,' he said. 'If you look at the squad going into the season I think it's a little bit light. Brendan Rodgers, everything I've seen him hint at or say [suggests he] feels the same. 'It's fair to say that the squad right now isn't as strong as the end of last season. That's not ideal but there's still plenty of time left in the transfer window. Squad-wise there is still work to be done.' Sutton sees his old position as one that definitely needs attention but sees wide players and a back-up left-back as other areas where recruits are required. 'Celtic sold Kyogo in January and I think Brendan talked about how he wanted to replace him then,' he said. 'It didn't happen and it hasn't happened in the summer. 'If something happened to Daizen Maeda then the club are going to be in a bit of bother. 'Whether Brendan goes with Adam Idah this season, I think the jury is still out and towards the end of last season Brendan was leaving him out when Kyogo had gone. 'He's still in the development phase so it could be a big season for him. Having said that, he did score 20 goals, which was impressive. 'Losing Nicolas Kuhn and with Jota injured they are short in some areas. I saw Greg Taylor at the airport heading out [to PAOK] and with Jeffrey Schlupp went back to his club though Kieran Tierney has come in as a big boost it still feels like there's work to be done for Celtic to get to the level Celtic want to be.' The defence of the Premiership title begins next week and there is a crucial Champions League play-off to come. Sutton says they don't look ready quite yet, and the difference from last year is stark. 'They won the league in the first half of last season and they set off like a house on fire,' he said. 'They had real momentum going into the season and they had a good pre-season. 'It doesn't quite feel like that right now and there's the the burden of the Champions League qualifiers and we know how big they are for the club. They've got to navigate their way through that.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic transfer bid 'laughingly rejected' as Kyogo suffers teething problems
The Hoops have been frustrated in their attempts to get more signings over the line Celtic have had THREE offers turfed out for winger Jakob Breum as Go Ahead Eagles stand firm. Danish star Breum, 21, has emerged as the Hoops' latest signing target as Brendan Rodgers seeks more firepower. Breum is one of the most exciting talents in the Eredivisie and lit up the Dutch top-flight with 11 goals and provided five assists. That's caught the attention of Parkhead scouts, and the Scottish champions kicked off negotiations earlier this month. But, as has been widely reported, the opening £1.5million offer was instantly snubbed, with Dutch magazine Voetbal International going as far as to say it was "laughingly rejected". It's believed Celts returned to the table with two improved offers, but the latest of £3m was also booted out by the Dutch Cup holders. Go Ahead have slapped a £6m price tag on the wide man's head and are in no rush to sell, with the player still under contract for another two years. Meanwhile ex- Celtic hero Kyogo is still finding his feet at Birmingham City following his quick-fire £10million exit from Rennes. The Japanese striker linked up with former teammate and compatriot Tomoki Iwata at St Andrew's in a bumper summer switch. Kyogo was given another runout in the penultimate pre-season friendly at Port Vale as the Blues coasted to a 2-0 victory. But the 30-year-old endured a frustrating 65 minutes as he struggled to test home goalkeeper Marko Marosi - despite making "some decisive movements". Reflecting on Kyogo's afternoon, Birmingham Live reporter Alex Dicken wrote that Birmingham's players "aren't quite on the same wavelength as Kyogo just yet." He added: "The question is are they just not finding him, or is he not making the right runs. That is an issue [Chris] Davies will hope to iron out over the next two weeks." Meanwhile Nicolas Kuhn lifted his first piece of silverware in Italy as his new side were crowned Como Cup winners. The £17m attacker made a second-half cameo as Como 1907 secured the first-ever Como Cup title with a 3–0 victory over Ajax.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Shin Yamada tells Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers exactly why he can succeed Kyogo
The striker netted his first goal for the Hoops' in the Como Cup clash with Al Ahli Shin Yamada has told Brendan Rodgers can be just as deadly as Kyogo at Celtic. The Hoops boss is desperate to add more firepower after Nicholas Kuhn 's exit and Jota's long-term injury. Celts also failed to land a replacement for Kyogo when the frontman departed in January. Yamada landed on a £1.5m deal from Kawasaki Frontale but Rodgers admitted the frontman could be one for the future. The Japan ace is convinced he can be a man for the here and now – and he's ready to fill the Kyogo void. Yamada – who notched the winning penalty against Al-Ahli in the Como Cup at the weekend – said: 'Obviously I heard all the news about Kyogo scoring goals for Celtic. 'As players, I would say some parts of our game is similar. In front of goal, especially. 'However, I have something different which is speed and power. With that, I hope to perform as well as him and contribute to Celtic. 'I have speed at one-v-ones. I like to run behind the defenders. That is one of my strengths.' Yamada was denied a debut against Ajax in Italy last week due to red tape but got his first taste against the Saudi Arabian big guns. The 25-year-old had a goal disallowed for a narrow offside call but showed bottle to step up and convert the winning penalty in the third-place play-off. The Japan squad man caught the eye in his second half showing but he insisted there is still much more to come. He said: 'I am happy I took part in the game. And, of course, I am happy to have scored the winning penalty. 'I thought I had scored in the second-half but was off-side. I wish I had the pass earlier. 'But I have only come to the club for a week so we need to understand each other's strengths better and have better connections. 'I think that part will come soon. I am obviously a striker so personally my job is to score a lot of goals and I think that's what I'm being asked to do at this club. 'I need to demand from my team-mates that they give me a pass in certain moments. 'That is a part of my game I need to improve with my team-mates.'
North Wales Chronicle
19-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Brendan Rodgers wants to add more goals to Celtic squad in transfer window
The 25-year-old was introduced to supporters before a 4-0 friendly victory against Newcastle but Rodgers is looking for more goal threats. The Scottish champions previously added Kieran Tierney, Hayato Inamura, Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand and Ross Doohan to their squad but Rodgers said: 'I've still got a lot of work to do. 'But the guys that are training and working with us are doing so well. They're all developing their fitness and participating in the games for us. 'But I would expect us by the end of the window to have brought in players in certain areas of the pitch that we will need to go through a really long season. 'I think it's bringing goals to the squad. Especially when you score four goals, it seems like you're okay, but we lost an important player in Kyogo in January, he brought us a lot of goals. We lost Nicolas Kuhn. He brought us a lot of goals. Matt O'Riley even last summer. 'So even though we scored a lot of goals last season, we still want more. And our ambition is to have more. So I think all across the front areas, we have to be active in order to give us that depth that we need.' Yamada has arrived from Kawasaki Frontale, where he scored 32 goals in 121 appearances, on a four-year contract. The 25-year-old recently won his first international cap and joins compatriots Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Inamura at Celtic Park. 👊😀#WelcomeShin | #CelticFC🍀 — Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 19, 2025 Rodgers said: 'His profile suits how we play. He's one of the quickest players from the Japanese league. He's deemed quicker than Daizen and Kyogo in terms of statistics. 'And that's how we play. We have speed on the top line. He'll give us that depth as well.' Celtic have Champions League play-offs to navigate in the second half of August but Rodgers is prepared to be patient for further signings. 'Any coach would love to have them in on the first day of pre-season,' he said. 'But we all know how the market works. We get a busy little period and then there's another period and then it ramps up at the end. 'But as long as they're here by the end of August and obviously in some areas we would like them sooner, but by the end of August, we'll be able to see the squad that we have and take it from there.' Celtic swept Newcastle aside thanks to an Arne Engels penalty, Johnny Kenny's easy finish after a mistake from goalkeeper Nick Pope, a goal from Yang Hyun-jun on the counter-attack, and Liam Scales' header. Rodgers, whose side beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in midweek, said: 'It was an excellent exercise. We had a really tough 10 days over in Portugal and played a really good game on Wednesday night. 'So, just a continuation. The guys are looking strong, getting better. And, obviously, our tactical idea against a top team, you're looking to play with that authority and creativity. And it was really good.'
South Wales Guardian
19-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Brendan Rodgers wants to add more goals to Celtic squad in transfer window
The 25-year-old was introduced to supporters before a 4-0 friendly victory against Newcastle but Rodgers is looking for more goal threats. The Scottish champions previously added Kieran Tierney, Hayato Inamura, Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand and Ross Doohan to their squad but Rodgers said: 'I've still got a lot of work to do. 'But the guys that are training and working with us are doing so well. They're all developing their fitness and participating in the games for us. 'But I would expect us by the end of the window to have brought in players in certain areas of the pitch that we will need to go through a really long season. 'I think it's bringing goals to the squad. Especially when you score four goals, it seems like you're okay, but we lost an important player in Kyogo in January, he brought us a lot of goals. We lost Nicolas Kuhn. He brought us a lot of goals. Matt O'Riley even last summer. 'So even though we scored a lot of goals last season, we still want more. And our ambition is to have more. So I think all across the front areas, we have to be active in order to give us that depth that we need.' Yamada has arrived from Kawasaki Frontale, where he scored 32 goals in 121 appearances, on a four-year contract. The 25-year-old recently won his first international cap and joins compatriots Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Inamura at Celtic Park. 👊😀#WelcomeShin | #CelticFC🍀 — Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 19, 2025 Rodgers said: 'His profile suits how we play. He's one of the quickest players from the Japanese league. He's deemed quicker than Daizen and Kyogo in terms of statistics. 'And that's how we play. We have speed on the top line. He'll give us that depth as well.' Celtic have Champions League play-offs to navigate in the second half of August but Rodgers is prepared to be patient for further signings. 'Any coach would love to have them in on the first day of pre-season,' he said. 'But we all know how the market works. We get a busy little period and then there's another period and then it ramps up at the end. 'But as long as they're here by the end of August and obviously in some areas we would like them sooner, but by the end of August, we'll be able to see the squad that we have and take it from there.' Celtic swept Newcastle aside thanks to an Arne Engels penalty, Johnny Kenny's easy finish after a mistake from goalkeeper Nick Pope, a goal from Yang Hyun-jun on the counter-attack, and Liam Scales' header. Rodgers, whose side beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in midweek, said: 'It was an excellent exercise. We had a really tough 10 days over in Portugal and played a really good game on Wednesday night. 'So, just a continuation. The guys are looking strong, getting better. And, obviously, our tactical idea against a top team, you're looking to play with that authority and creativity. And it was really good.'
