Vissel Kobe defender Yuki Kobayashi is poised to join Celtic on a free transfer in January, according to reports in his homeland.
The 22-year-old defender is set to become the fifth player from Japan who stars for Ange Postecoglou in Glasgow - who himself arrived from the Land of the Rising Sun. Kobe have announced the Japan U23 will exit in the coming weeks after the conclusion of their J-League season. And now it has been revealed that the player's contract will expire and his current club won't receive a fee.
He will head to Glasgow shortly before his move is rubber-stamped ahead of the opening of the January transfer window. Celtic have two fixtures remaining before domestic football across the globe makes way for the World Cup. And that will allow Postecoglou to further assess his squad after he admitted at the club's AGM that changes will come. He said: "We've got to really be open minded about these things. Without putting pressure on individuals or us forcing people out, there is a natural evolution of these things where the timing is right.
"If the timing is right we won't be in fear of letting someone go because we have already planned for that. I think that has to happen. If you look at all the clubs our size who have done well at Champions League level, as in making an impact not necessarily winning the competition, all of them are always in the Champions League and have an aggressive trading model. That is how you make up ground. For us to be that sort of football club we have to be the same."
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