Ipswich Town are experiencing the same Celtic transfer frustration as Birmingham City.

Ipswich Town and Birmingham City have become familiar names for anyone who has followed the Championship closely in recent years. Both clubs spent significant periods trying to escape the second tier, although their circumstances were somewhat different. Eventually, both suffered relegation to League One, with Birmingham dropping into the third tier in 2019 and Ipswich following in 2024.

Since those relegations, however, ambition has returned to both clubs. Birmingham have been building towards a brighter future at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, while Ipswich have gone a step further and are now competing in the Premier League after an impressive rise through the divisions.

There was considerable optimism that Birmingham could copy Ipswich’s remarkable achievement of winning successive promotions from League One to the Premier League. That expectation increased after Chris Davies was backed with significant recruitment investment.

Unfortunately for Birmingham, their promotion push never developed into a sustained challenge. Despite spending heavily, the club were unable to remain involved in the promotion race for long enough.

Now, there is an interesting connection between the two clubs involving a pair of former Celtic forwards. Ipswich have signed Daizen Maeda, while Birmingham previously invested heavily in Kyogo Furuhashi. The contrasting fortunes of the two Japanese attackers could potentially provide a warning for Ipswich.

Celtic’s Successful Asian Recruitment

Celtic’s interest in the Asian market became increasingly prominent during Ange Postecoglou’s time as manager. The Australian had extensive knowledge of Japanese football following his successful spell with Yokohama F. Marinos, where he won the J-League title in 2019.

That knowledge helped Celtic identify players who could make an impact in Scotland.

Daizen Maeda was among those recruits, arriving from Matsumoto Yamaga. The forward eventually became an important player at Celtic, initially joining on loan before his transfer was made permanent in 2022.

Maeda quickly developed into a popular figure among Celtic supporters. His energy, pace and willingness to work tirelessly made him an important component of the team.

He also became a consistent goalscorer. Across his four full seasons in Glasgow, Maeda reached double figures every time, with his performances reaching another level during the 2024/25 campaign.

That season saw him score an outstanding 33 goals in 51 appearances, significantly increasing his reputation and market value.

Kyogo Furuhashi followed a similar path to Scotland. Before moving to Celtic, he had established himself with Vissel Kobe, scoring 49 goals in 111 appearances.

Celtic reportedly paid around £4.5m to bring him to Glasgow, and that investment quickly appeared to represent excellent business.

The Japanese international became one of the most recognisable forwards in Scottish football. During his time at Celtic, he won four Scottish Premiership titles and scored 85 goals in 165 appearances.

His goalscoring record made him a fan favourite and attracted attention from clubs outside Scotland. Eventually, he left Celtic for French side Stade Rennais in January 2025 following a difficult final period in Glasgow.

Kyogo’s Difficult Birmingham Spell

Kyogo’s move away from Celtic did not produce the revival that many expected.

After joining Rennes, the 31-year-old struggled to establish himself, making only six appearances before Birmingham secured his services in a major transfer last summer.

The move to St Andrew’s was reportedly worth up to £10m, reflecting the confidence Birmingham had in his ability to reproduce the goalscoring form that had made him such a success at Celtic.

There were understandable expectations surrounding the transfer. Kyogo had already demonstrated that he could score regularly at a high level, and the Championship appeared to provide an opportunity for him to rebuild his confidence.

However, things did not develop as Birmingham supporters had hoped.

Interestingly, Kyogo appeared to have opened his account against Ipswich, only for the goal to be ruled out because of a foul on Jacob Greaves.

He eventually scored his first Birmingham goal during an EFL Cup meeting with Sheffield United. Unfortunately, that moment did not lead to a sustained run of form.

Despite starting Birmingham’s opening four matches, his playing time gradually decreased.

His overall numbers eventually highlighted the difficulties he experienced. Kyogo made 31 appearances for Birmingham but scored only three goals and registered no assists.

He also struggled to make the most of his opportunities, missing 12 big chances during his time at the club.

Two of his three goals came in the FA Cup, against Cambridge United and Sheffield Wednesday, while his overall contribution remained well below expectations.

Kyogo ultimately left Birmingham and joined LA Galaxy in July after missing the final seven matches of the previous campaign because of a shoulder problem.

MLS Move Has Not Changed Kyogo’s Fortunes

The move to Major League Soccer was viewed by some as an opportunity for Kyogo to reset his career.

There had even been speculation earlier in the year about a possible return to Celtic, but a move to the United States eventually became the forward’s next chapter.

Kyogo signed a contract running until 2031 with LA Galaxy, but his difficult run has continued.

Since making his debut against FC Dallas on August 2, he has made nine appearances for the club. His only direct contribution so far has been an assist against New England Revolution.

That means he has now gone more than eight months without scoring a goal.

For a player who became such a prolific scorer at Celtic, the decline has been notable.

Maeda Faces A Different Challenge

Ipswich will hope Maeda’s Premier League experience develops very differently.

The Tractor Boys signed the versatile 28-year-old from Celtic for around £10m in July, with new manager Gary O’Neil highlighting his physicality and work rate as major reasons for bringing him to Portman Road.

Those qualities made Maeda such an effective player in Glasgow, and Ipswich will be hoping he can reproduce that impact in England.

The club have made a reasonably encouraging return to the Premier League, collecting two victories from their opening five matches. However, Maeda has yet to make the same impression as some of their other summer additions.

Players such as Julio Enciso and Zian Flemming have attracted attention, while Maeda is still waiting to demonstrate his full attacking influence.

It is important to remember that the Japanese forward has only recently arrived and signed a three-year contract with Ipswich. There remains plenty of time for him to settle into English football.

Nevertheless, the situation creates an interesting comparison with Kyogo.

Birmingham invested heavily in a former Celtic goalscorer hoping that his Scottish form would translate into the Championship. That move did not work as expected.

Ipswich have now made a similar investment in another former Celtic star, although Maeda arrives with a different profile and recent record.

If his goals and assists begin to arrive, the comparison with Kyogo will quickly disappear. But if Maeda struggles to make an attacking impact, Ipswich could find themselves facing questions similar to those Birmingham encountered.

For now, it is far too early to judge the transfer. Maeda has only just begun his Ipswich career, and his work rate and versatility give him different qualities from Kyogo.

However, Ipswich will certainly hope that their £10m investment becomes a successful one and that Maeda can avoid following the difficult path experienced by his former Celtic teammate.