Celtic close to first January signing as deal is reached for 22-y/o talent

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Celtic have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Vissel Kobe star Yuki Kobayashi, with the Japanese defender set to become the Hoops’ first new arrival ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Sponichi Annex, Celtic are set to sign the 22-year-old centre-back after reaching an agreement with the J-League giants for Kobayashi, who is set to become Ange Postecoglou’s fifth arrival from Japan since the Australian coach’s move to Scotland.

Celtic have done business with Vissel Kobe before, with Postecoglou bringing Kyogo Furuhash to Glasgow in what could be one of the Hoops’ best transfers in years. And many fans and pundits will be expecting Kobayashi to have a similar impact should the transfer go through.

A left-footed centre-back who has been a regular in Japanese football over the last three years, Kobayashi will contest for a starting position in the backline alongside the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt, yet the defender’s unique attributes could see the youngster fast-tracked into the starting XI.

Indeed, left-footed centre-backs have become quite the commodity in football in recent years, with clubs eager to pay top dollar for defenders who possess this trait. And for Kobayashi, the Japanese talent could be just that player for Celtic in the coming weeks.

Whilst the January transfer window is still quite some time away, Celtic are making a smart decision in signing a player like Kobayashi well in advance and ahead of rival clubs, with the youngster a player who could soon catch the eyes of many top European sides in Scotland.

Celtic signing Yuki Kobayashi is an exciting move for all parties

Celtic are now no strangers to signing players from Japan, with Postecoglou single-handily opening the market for Scottish teams by finding incredible value from the J-League. And Kobayashi could provide just that given his position and his qualities.

Whilst it is difficult to predict if Kobayashi will be as big a signing for Celtic as Kyogo, the 22-year-old brings plenty of promise to the Hoops ahead of the January transfer window, and the deal will be one that excites many supporters in 2023 should official confirmation soon come out.