In a move that was supposed to elevate his career to new heights, Kyogo Furuhashi's £10million January transfer from Celtic to Ligue 1 side Rennes has instead left the Japanese striker warming the bench and facing an uncertain future in French football.
The 30-year-old forward, who was a talismanic figure across a three-and-a-half year spell at Celtic Park, has found himself in footballing purgatory since swapping the adulation of Glasgow's east end for the unfamiliar surroundings of Roazhon Park.
At the heart of Kyogo's struggles lies a fundamental tactical incompatibility with Rennes' current system. Manager Habib Beye, who arrived just days after Kyogo joined the club, has been refreshingly candid about why the Japanese international has struggled to break into the starting XI.
"Kyogo has different abilities from other strikers, he needs to have a focal point, because he's very mobile," Beye revealed.
"He's a combination player, and we're working a lot at the moment on these notions of complementarity attack, so that he feels confident and fully involved," the Rennes boss added, suggesting that integrating Kyogo into his tactical setup remains a work in progress.
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This tactical puzzle explains why Beye has often opted for 17-year-old Mohamed Meite ahead of the experienced Kyogo, with the manager stating: "The decision to start Mathis ahead of Kyogo is simply based on what I've seen in training. I've given opportunities to players who I believe deserve them based on their performances in training sessions."
At Celtic, Kyogo was the main man. The player who delivered when it mattered most. His goals, 85 in total for Celtic, helped secure multiple trophies under Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou. But in France, he's become something of a forgotten figure, with his specific skill set seemingly at odds with what Rennes require from their centre forward.
He got a mere nine minutes of game time as Rennes were thrashed 4-1 by Paris Saint-Germain last weekend. While, he was left as an unused substitute in three of the four previous fixtures.
