According to sources from Football Insider, the planned loan transfer of Celtic’s defender Yuki Kobayashi to HJK Helsinki has fallen through. Despite being given permission by Celtic to proceed, the 23-year-old traveled for discussions with the Finnish club. HJK Helsinki was interested in securing Kobayashi’s signature during their transfer window, which remains open until April, and talks were underway. However, the transfer has been called off for now, leading Kobayashi to return to training with his Celtic teammates.
Kobayashi, who has yet to make an appearance for Celtic this season, finds himself low in the team’s hierarchy under manager Brendan Rodgers. Despite joining Celtic from Vissel Kobe in January 2023 with a contract until May 2028, Kobayashi has only been included in one matchday squad during the current campaign. Although he played seven times under former manager Ange Postecoglou last season, Rodgers no longer sees him as part of his plans.
Kobayashi is among the Japanese players at Celtic, including Tomoki Iwata, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, and Kyogo Furuhashi. The failure of his transfer comes at a time when Celtic is trailing behind their rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race, sitting two points behind them in the standings following a draw against Kilmarnock on February 17.
Despite this setback, Football Insider reports that Celtic is not expected to rush into any decisions regarding Brendan Rodgers’ future as manager. Additionally, uncovered documents reveal a £26 million payout, suggesting both Celtic and Rangers hold strong positions in Scottish football.
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