Celtic could see £4m bid accepted to sign an upgrade on Maeda

Celtic striker Daizen Maeda did not enjoy his best game high up the pitch during the 2-2 draw with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The Japan international finished the game without any shots on target and no chances created for Martin O’Neill’s side, according to Sofascore, demonstrating his complete lack of influence in the final third.

Maeda was also very sloppy with his overall play on the ball, completing just 63% of his passing attempts, and it could be interesting to see where he stands in the team if Celtic add more quality to their attacking ranks.

He has now scored one goal in his last eight appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, and has only scored eight goals in 33 appearances this season.

Celtic have been told how much it would take to sign the SPFL star

The club are said to be in the market for further reinforcements before the window closes, and have been told how much it would cost to sign one of their reported targets, who could be a promotion for Maeda.

CELTIC have been linked with interest in Motherwell striker Tawanda Maswanhayes. It was reported earlier this month that he is more likely to join the club than fellow transfer target Kieron Bowie.

Now, journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested it could take upwards of £4m to secure the Zimbabwe international’s services before the end of the January transfer window.

“He was one of the standout players in the league, so it’s no surprise that teams like Rangers and Celtic have been linked with Massoanhase,” O’Rourke told football Insider.

“He came from nowhere at Motherwell, had great success in the league and built up his reputation. They will be looking for £4m plus, probably, for the player. In the current market, that would be the going price for a winger, who can also play up front.”

Why should Celtic pay £4m to sign Masoanhase?

With this in mind, the Scottish Premiership champions would have to pay £4m or so to sign the 23-year-old star as he could arrive as an upgrade over Maeda.

Like the Japan international, Masoanhase is a versatile striker who can play in the middle as a striker or on the wing, however he has shown more quality in the league this season than the Celtic player.

The former Leicester City player added another goal to his tally this season in the league, when he scored in a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock for Motherwell on Saturday, bringing his total to 11 goals in the league and 16 in all competitions.

Masoanhase, who analyst Kay Watson claimed is “on fire”, is arguably the best striker in the Scottish Premiership this season, as evidenced by his impressive statistics to this point.

As you can see in the table above, the Motherwell star is the top goalscorer in the league, despite not ranking in the top 10 in terms of shots taken overall. This speaks to how incredibly efficient he is in front of goal.

Up to that point, according to FotMob, Maswanhise had scored 11 goals from 6.27 points in the Premier League. This meant that he was ferocious in the final third, rarely missing a good opportunity to slot home, and the same could not be said for Maeda.

Per FotMob, Maeda has scored seven goals from a league xG of 9.42 for the Hoops. He therefore scored four fewer goals than two more than Maswanhise.

These stats suggest there is a huge difference in finishing quality between the two versatile strikers, who play in the same league, which is why the £4m star could arrive at Parkhead as a major upgrade over O’Neill.

Maswanhise is a proven player in the Premier League who has shown he can be prolific, effective and consistent in front of goal this season, while Maeda has been inconsistent and ineffective in the final third.

That’s why the Scottish giants must splash out on the 23-year-old before the end of the January transfer window, as he could be a fantastic addition to the squad.

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