Kyogo Furuhashi’s dream of playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues has so far turned into an unexpected struggle.
The Japanese striker, who lit up Scottish football during a three-and-a-half year spell with Celtic, has found himself a peripheral figure at Rennes since making a shock £10million move to the Ligue 1 side in January.
Furuhashi, 30, was a talismanic figure in Glasgow, netting 85 goals from 165 appearances and helping Celtic to multiple domestic honours.
His departure raised eyebrows, not just because of his importance to Brendan Rodgers’ side, but also due to Celtic’s failure to secure a direct replacement.
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Yet for Furuhashi, the allure of testing himself in one of Europe’s most recognised leagues was too strong to ignore.
But so far, that dream has been anything but a success. He has managed just 83 minutes across two substitute appearances, with a mere 12 touches of the ball.
More alarmingly, he has been left as an unused substitute in Rennes’ last two matches, including Sunday’s emphatic 4-0 league victory over Montpellier - suggesting that his team can thrive without him.
While settling into a new league can take time, the lack of early opportunities is a worrying sign for Furuhashi.
Rennes, currently in mid-table, are not short of attacking options, and with every passing game, questions will grow over whether they truly see him as part of their plans.
For now, the £10m gamble remains just that - a gamble. If Furuhashi is to make his mark in France, he needs to convince Rennes boss Habib Beye, who replaced Jorge Sampaoli a matter of days after Furuhashi’s arrival, that he deserves his chance to shine in the starting XI.
Otherwise, this high-profile switch could quickly become one of the most puzzling transfers of the season.
Furuhashi previously suggested that his transfer switch to Ligue 1 would help improve his international ambitions after continually being omitted from the Japanese squad despite Celtic teammates Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda receiving regular call-ups.
He said: "I think that if I can prove my strength here in France by playing every week I will be called up by the national team again and I will be able to show a different side of myself.
"I cannot claim to be called up with certainty, but if he can demonstrate my ability at Rennes, it definitely adds to my chances.
"I just want to make an impact here and create chances for my teammates. I'm very pleased we won in my opening game.
"There are a lot of players in France with very high technical abilities and I know I will challenge myself every day."
