DAIZEN MAEDA has revealed he told Celtic of his plans to LEAVE the club during the summer transfer window.
The Celtic frontman was still in talks with an interested club on deadline day but wasn’t allowed to seal the move as the Hoops blocked the transfer, the player has revealed.
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The Japanese frontman dropped the major transfer bombshell when speaking to the media from his homeland after touching down in North America for Japan‘s USA tour.
He arrived at the training camp a day later than the rest of his international team-mates, with the Japan FA citing ‘club circumstances’ as the reason for his delay.
And Maeda has since explained that he was held back from meeting up with the rest of the squad due to ongoing transfer negotiations on deadline day.
Celtic received an official offer for the attacker but it was turned down as Brendan Rodgers didn’t have a replacement, Maeda claims.
He said: “Me joining the national team was delayed, and I had been talking to Celtic until the last day, but it didn’t work out.
“I had received an offer, and I had been telling the club that I wanted to take the next step, but Celtic hadn’t been able to make any good reinforcements, so in the end they told me they couldn’t let me leave.”
Maeda is keen to take the next step in his career, but insists he won’t let the failed exit affect his performances in Scotland this season.
He said: “There were some things that I had agreed to personally, so I wanted to take on the challenge.
“I’ve decided to stay with Celtic, so I want to work hard as a team.”
Maeda has been the subject of interest from clubs down south and across Europe in recent months.
It’s believed several Premier League clubs are tracking him, including European sides such as Fenerbahce and teams from Italy and Germany.
He scooped multiple awards for his sublime campaign last season after he netted 33 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions.
And he made his plans clear to the Hoops after his standout season.
Maeda said: “I’d been talking to the club since before the end of the previous season, and I’d always told them I wanted to take the next step, but we had league games and we lost in the Champions League qualifiers, so it was difficult.”
Questions have been asked of Maeda’s performances this season so far, with many believing he has yet to hit the heights expected.
He’s only scored one goal in seven appearances so far – against Falkirk in the League Cup.
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