Anthony Joseph Confirms Celtic's Talks to Sign Defender

As Celtic start to put the pieces in place to be ready for the upcoming season, they're now getting closer to making their next summer acquisition. In their first official move, Kieran Tierney rejoined the team from Arsenal on a free transfer, while Ross Doohan is expected to take Scott Bain's spot as the team's backup goalie.

Meanwhile, a deal for Swedish winger Benjamin Nygren appears to be on the verge of being signed by Celtic, and negotiations for Fulham striker Callum Osmand are also close to completion just as the transfer window opens.

Also, it seems like the Hoops are getting ready to go back to the Japanese market once again. According to Anthony Joseph, Celtic are in talks to sign Albirex Niigata centre-back Hayato Inamura, who is keen to join the club.

The 23-year-old is a left-footed defender who can play both centre-back and left-back, two positions that Brendan Rodgers wants to reinforce.

He appears to be a solution for Celtic's defence while also addressing two significant issues in one signing.

There isn't much cover for Tierney because Greg Taylor's future is still questionable. Inamura could be the one, who may fill in at both positions, while primarily being a centre-back.

Albirex Niigata, Inamura's current club, is fighting relegation in Japan, which could enhance Celtic's chances of landing a deal this summer. And, at 23 years old, he still has room to develop under Rodgers while also being capable of playing first-team football at the same time.

The Glasgow giants are no strangers to the Japanese transfer market, having acquired players like Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata, Yosuke Ideguchi and Yuki Kobayashi over the past few years.

Will Inamura join the growing list of Japanese players at the club? It remains to be seen. And if that does happen, it won't be a surprise, as the J-League transfer market has proven to be a great spot for Celtic to find talent.