Nottingham Forest are exploring a deal to sign Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda.
Nottingham Forest have earmarked Maeda as a target following his World Cup campaign with Japan.
Maeda has enjoyed a superb career north of the border with Celtic, netting 78 goals and laying on 38 assists in 212 appearances.
Goals and assists in abundance for Celtic but how would YOU feel about Daizen Maeda signing for Forest this summer?
£20m feels very cheap!
It’s being reported that the 28-year-old could be available for £20m, which has alerted Premier League rivals Everton, too.
With that said, Nottingham Forest News has spoken exclusively to 67 Hail Hail journalist Martin Crawford to find out a little bit more about what Maeda could offer and whether a move to the City Ground is realistic.
What are Daizen Maeda’s strengths?
“Daizen is a ridiculous athlete,” Crawford explained.
“His sprinting capacity is almost unmatched anywhere in football – and that’s not an exaggeration; his total of 78 sprints for Japan against Brazil is the highest recorded at the World Cup. After the game, he hilariously said that he didn’t even feel tired.
“His all-round game has come on leaps and bounds since we signed him in 2022 – his technical game can still be erratic, but he has improved his finishing to become our most reliable big-game goalscorer.”
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Where can Maeda improve?
“When he plays as a winger, his dribbling style is pretty unconventional,” the Celtic reporter added.
“He basically relies much more on pace than footwork. Not a guy who will go on a mazy run past two or three men, but absolutely a guy who will get a half yard 1v1.
“And, as previously mentioned, end product can be erratic. A wild cross or finish is always around the corner with Daizen. If his technique was more consistent, he’d probably be at Real Madrid.”
How would Maeda fare in the Premier League?
“He’d have zero problem handling the physical step up. He’s both one of the fastest and strongest players in our squad. The bigger question is about technical ability.
“If you play to his strengths and lean on his pace and physicality, he really could be an asset. Very few defenders can catch up with him, and though he doesn’t score every chance, he can get to so many that it doesn’t matter.”
How likely are Celtic to sell Maeda to Forest?
“I expect Celtic to sell him to whichever PL side wants him most. He has publicly gone on record that he wants to move to the PL this summer.
“He has pretty much done all he can at Celtic, and is a modern-day legend here. All you have to do is win the race, I guess – and I wouldn’t be surprised if you do.”
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