Brian Laudrup believes Kyogo would be a “perfect” fit for Tottenham and can see him joining Ange Postecoglou in North London.
The Celtic boss is expected to be confirmed as Spurs’ new boss today after a highly successful two years at Parkhead convinced Daniel Levy that the Aussie is the man to sort out his club. Hoops fans have reluctantly accepted the reality of the situation, but won’t be as understanding should the Aussie raid his former employer for players.
Kyogo was the first of the Japanese imports to follow Ange to Scotland and has arguably been the most successful. The striker finished this season as the Scottish Premiership’s top scorer and has been vital to how Celtic have operated under the Australian. But he could now be a man in demand as richer clubs circle for what they’ll see as a potential cut-price deal for a man who knows where the goals are.
Many think he could be the one Postecoglou comes back for. Harry Kane has a year left on his contract and Real Madrid have made him their No 1 transfer target this summer. Postecoglou will attempt to persuade him to extend his stay and Kyogo isn’t exactly a like-for-like replacement.
But the prospect of the pair teaming up is a tempting one for the 56-year-old. And Laudrup can see it happening once the dust settles on the Spurs appointment.
He wrote in his Daily Mail column: “Some managers make it clear they will never go back and raid their old team. Others keep quiet and do it if they feel the need.
“Time will tell which side of the fence Ange Postecoglou falls on. But I don't take the Australian for being a sentimental type.
“He's a tough guy who makes big decisions for the benefit of his employers. And I do wonder whether that will lead him back to Parkhead when he begins the work of trying to rebuild Tottenham Hotspur into a genuine force in English football.
“It's really interesting that Postecoglou wants to take key members of his backroom staff with him from Celtic. It's a change of policy from how he's previously operated.
What's even more fascinating is whether a desire to be surrounded by people he trusts extends to signing players from the club he's now poised to leave. Where one name is concerned, it seems like a logical solution to one of the issues Postecoglou might have to face in North London.
“His admiration for Kyogo Furuhashi as both a player and a person \u0097 is clearly immense. Postecoglou has said that, when he was working in Japan, he already knew that he wanted to make the striker his first signing if he ever got a job in Europe. No matter which club or country it was, Furuhashi was coming with him.
“That level of faith is unusual. And it feels particularly relevant when you consider the wider situation at Tottenham.
“We don't know what is going to happen with Harry Kane this summer, although Spurs insist he's not for sale. He's been linked with Real Madrid after Karim Benzema's decision to leave for Saudi Arabia. Manchester United, too, have a long-standing interest.
“Spurs are going to need a new forward. If not to replace Kane immediately, then at least to give another credible option in that department. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Furuhashi ended up joining Postecoglou in London at some point. And I could see him being a success, too.
“With his movement, his intelligence, his finishing and his work-rate, I think he could handle the step up in quality. He would be a handful even for the more switched-on defenders of the Premier League and, crucially, would understand what his manager wanted from him.
“That's only part of the equation, of course. Would Celtic let their most prolific goalscorer follow their manager out of the door in the same summer? It would have to be a really significant financial offer for a player who still has two years left on his contract.
“In my view, though, Furuhashi has the ability to make an impact at Spurs. And they have the money to try and make a deal happen if it's what Postecoglou wants.”
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