In January, Kyogo Furuhashi left Celtic in a £10 million move intended to reignite his hopes of making Japan’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. The striker had been repeatedly overlooked by national team coach Hajime Moriyasu, who seemed to prioritize players in Europe’s top five leagues—despite continuing to select Celtic’s Daizen Maeda.
Kyogo’s high-profile transfer to Ligue 1 side Rennes appeared promising but quickly went awry, with the 30-year-old spending most of his time at Roazhon Park on the bench.
Even after manager Jorge Sampaoli was dismissed shortly after Kyogo’s arrival, his status didn’t improve under new boss Habib Beye. Now, Rennes are prepared to cut their losses and offload the forward.
According to Birmingham Live, Championship newcomers Birmingham City are now in talks to sign Kyogo as they look to bolster their attacking options. The club, led by former Celtic assistant Chris Davies, recently secured a dominant League One title and are aiming for promotion to the Premier League—with strong backing from NFL legend Tom Brady.
A move to Birmingham would reunite Kyogo with ex-Celtic teammate and fellow Japanese international Tomoki Iwata, who joined the club last summer and quickly made an impact with several eye-catching goals.
Birmingham have also brought in several former Rangers players. Ben Davies, previously linked with Celtic, could join permanently following a loan from Ibrox. Kieran Dowell is in a similar position, and Scott Wright also signed last summer. Key players at the club include Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes and former Hearts defender Alex Cochrane.
Kyogo officially joined Birmingham City on Saturday, having made just six appearances for Rennes since his winter move.
Best of luck at the Blues, Kyogo.
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