"I wish it would go down even more." That's Daizen Maeda, talking about his own transfer value — and it's about as direct as a player can get without handing in a formal transfer request.
The Japan international has made clear he wants out of Celtic this summer, and he's not just hinting at it through an agent or a vague social media post. He went on Japanese TV and said it plainly: the higher his market value climbs after the World Cup, the harder it becomes for him to move. He wants the number smaller. He wants the deal done.
Ipswich are pushing, and the Premier League is the target
Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town are the club in the frame, reportedly pushing to bring Maeda to Portman Road quickly. For the Tractor Boys, who face a demanding first season back in the top flight, a winger with World Cup momentum and goals in six straight games for Celtic — including in the Scottish Cup final — is a genuinely attractive option.
For Celtic, the timing is delicate. They let this exact situation drag into chaos last summer. Maeda nearly left on deadline day, his locker was cleared, and then Adam Idah's exit blocked the move entirely. His form cratered afterwards — before he rediscovered himself in the title run-in.
That cycle won't repeat indefinitely. Maeda is 28, post-World Cup, and has now said publicly that playing in the Premier League is his "dream." Celtic's leverage is limited when the player himself is actively willing his price down.
What this means for Celtic's window
Losing Maeda creates a real problem. He's not just a squad option — he scored in the games that mattered most, including the deciders against Hearts and Dunfermline. Replacing that kind of output and mentality mid-window is hard. Celtic's attacking depth odds get considerably shakier the moment he boards that flight.
Maeda has his sights set on the next World Cup too, and he knows his path there runs through a higher level of football. He said it himself: "I believe that the next World Cup is at the end of the road if I cherish each and every day of playing soccer."
Celtic may not be able to hold this one much longer.
