Kyogo Furuhashi has revealed his target at Celtic this season is to better the goal record of Odsonne Edouard during the striker’s final year at Parkhead, via the Glasgow Times.
The Hoops sold Edouard to Crystal Palace on Deadline Day for £14m, which could rise to £18.5m with add-ons. Ange Postecoglou signed off on the forward’s exit after he entered the last 12-months of his Bhoys contract this summer.
Edouard suffered a slight dip in form during his last hurrah in Glasgow, with 18 goals over 31 Premiership appearances. The 23-year-old had scored 21 in 27 games during 2019/20, for his best top-flight haul during four seasons in Scotland.
Celtic had already moved to strengthen Postecoglou’s forward options by signing Furuhashi before selling Edouard in a last-ditch deal. The Hoops paid Vissel Kobe £4.5m in July for the 26-year-old, after scoring 15 times in 21 J1 League appearances.
Furuhashi has proven an instant hit in the Premiership with four goals in five games, plus an assist. He has also struck home four in six in cup ties, and targets bettering Odsonne’s best league return straight away.
“First of all, as a result of the club, I would like to score more than 20 goals this season,” Furuhashi said. “It’s a club that is considered to be the top-two in Scotland, so that should be normal. Last season, Edouard scored 18 goals in the league, so I want to exceed that.”
Team above self for Furuhashi, despite Odsonne target at Celtic
Furuhashi will not put his personal goal target ahead of Celtic’s aims as a club, however. The Japan international added that helping the Hoops achieve results is the main objective. Postecoglou has overseen seven wins to four defeats with the Ikoma-born ace on the pitch.
“I’m a teammate, so I’m just grateful to the team that trusts the players right after joining,” he added. “Whether it’s the [centre-]forward or the side, I have a strong desire to get results in the given position.”
Postecoglou has so far relied on Furuhashi to fill Odsonne’s void as Celtic’s centre-forward over seven of his 11 appearances. But the impressive eight-cap Japan international has not featured on the wing since the Frenchman’s late-window move to Crystal Palace.
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