Celtic Complete Hayato Inamura Signing But Then Confirm Twist

Celtic have had a relatively hit or miss 2025 summer transfer window, as they have for sure made a few quality additions to the squad compared to last season, but have also lost out on some key pieces as well.

The biggest loss of the summer is Nicolas Kühn, as the club chose to move on from him for a pretty decent price tag, but maybe not as much as they could have landed for him at his peak value due to a slow last few months.

In terms of additions, Kieran Tierney is a lock for the starting XI, but beyond him, it has mostly been developmental pieces who could take a spot, or backups. Benjamin Nygren, Ross Doohan and Callum Osmand were the three others who had been brought in, all of whom add value to the club no doubt, but maybe are not immediate high-level starters.

The most recent addition for the club falls into a similar category as Osmand, a player who needs time to continue improving, but could be a valuable addition in the coming years.

Celtic Announce Hayato Inamura Deal But There's A Twist

In an official club announcement on Friday by the Hoops, they notified fans of a transfer deal that many saw coming, as the Scottish side have signed Hayato Inamura. They have signed him to a four-year deal, giving them plenty of time to work with him and attempt to develop his skillset even further from what it is now.

On the same Friday Inamura signed the deal, he was spotted at The City Stadium for Celtic's opening summer friendly against Queen's Park.

This deal had been coming together for quite a while, with rumours dating back to the early portion of the summer window, so it is clear this had been more of a formality than anything. Inamura is not going to be a part of first-team plans immediately though.

According to BBC, when asked if the Japanese centre-back would be ready to go straight into the first team, Rodgers said: "No, he won't be. He's a part of the investment of the club."

Inamura will be an interesting player to watch in the coming seasons for Celtic, as he has a skillset to build from no doubt, and has proven himself in the J1 League as well, it will just be a matter of getting him prepared for stronger competition, especially when it comes to the UEFA Champions League.