Rennes manager Jorge Sampaoli has addressed the transfer state of play surrounding Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Japanese striker landed in France last Thursday to complete his Celtic departure, although four days on, the move is yet to be confirmed.
Sampaoli hoped Furuhashi would play a part in his side's game against Monaco on Saturday, but it wasn't to be, and the transfer saga drags on.
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The Argentine, though, wasn't overly concerned about the timeline of the move when quizzed after Rennes' 3-2 loss in the south of France: "We hoped he could play a few minutes against Monaco," he said (RecordSport).
"We have high expectations of him because he is a player who can bring us a lot, in particular, depth.
"When we (the coaching team) arrived at the club, we expressed our needs. Now, we are coming to the end of the transfer window, and it is always difficult to find concrete solutions."
It remains a matter of time before Furuhashi's £10m switch is confirmed, with Portuguese winger Jota set to go the other way and complete an emotional return to Parkhead.
The 25-year-old is in Glasgow, with supporters waiting on the all-important announcement that will signal his long-awaited arrival.
While he can't feature against Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Jota could make his second debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership this weekend.
