Daizen Maeda could have been playing for Rangers instead of Celtic, according to Craig Moore.
The agent has claimed former Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson snubbed the chance to try and gazump Celitc in a transfer for the Japan internationalist.
Former Ibrox defender Moore was desperate to see his ex-club go in for Maeda after hearing rave reviews of the winger.
However, there was little interest from the Rangers side with Moore claiming the Ibrox club "didn’t want to explore" the Asian market and be seen as doing the same as Celtic with Ange Postecoglou finding success with signings from the region.
Moore slaughtered the decision as "absolutely bonkers" as he questioned Wilson for the error of judgement.
On the Go Radio Football Show, Moore revealed: “I think it was maybe October 2021. I tried to get Ross Wilson on the bait! I said, ‘Listen, I know the player has been linked or spoken about with regards to Celtic. Kevin (Muscat) is one of my best mates and has given me an unbelievable rundown on this player and I think he’d be a great fit for the football club’.
“Ross came back and said they knew of the player and was sure Ange would know all about the player too. That probably wasn’t the answer I was wanting. I wanted to hear, ‘Okay, how do we do something and make that possible?’
“When I listened to Brendan Rodgers talking about him (during Tuesday’s press conference) it was like listening to Muscy all that time ago because the explanation and brief was exactly the same. He could have been at Rangers. Come on Ross Wilson, what you doing?
“At the end of the day, sometimes as an agent or pundit we think we have all the best ideas in the world that you take to a football club but I understand the process and never take things personally but I did think he would be a great option.
“The problem for me is that sometimes you have to be brave in your decision making. Ange, because of his experience in Asia, explored that market and Celtic backed him.
"It’s a relatively cheap market and still is. Rangers didn’t want to explore that because if Celtic were doing it, they didn’t want to be seen to be doing it and that’s absolutely bonkers. Just go and get good players for good value.
“I’ve said loads of times Asia isn’t known in this part of the world but there’s some unbelievable talent, there really is, and Rangers to this day aren’t set up to explore that.”
Since joining Celtic, Maeda has lifted three Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cup medals and a Scottish League Cup.
The 27-year-old has been a key player under both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers and has earned call-ups for Japan while playing in Glasgow at club level.
