Celtic can launch Kyogo approach after blunt Birmingham City decision | OneFootball

Kyogo's brief period in the West Midlands continues to look all but over amid transfer speculation

Birmingham City's season is now on the verge of petering out in the early stages of the run-in, with supporters growing increasingly frustrated as a result.

Whilst a consolidatory season back in the Championship after being promoted from League One is, most of the time, deemed successful, sky-high expectation levels at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park have meant that Bluenoses are feeling a sense of disappointment when looking at the millions of pounds spent by the club's American owners.

Indeed, after breaking their club record and the third tier's overall transfer spend last season before accumulating 111 points, Birmingham signalled their intent for the current campaign very early in the summer transfer window with a barrage of statement signings.

Although not all of those proved to be a success, with the likes of Eiran Cashin and Lewis Koumas seeing their loan agreements from Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool terminated in the winter transfer window, Chris Davies was, yet again, backed to the hill when it came to overseeing another squad overhaul.

As well as turning star performer, Patrick Roberts' loan switch from Sunderland permanent, six new faces moved to B9, which included a combined £13m spent on August Priske and Carlos Vicente from Djurgardens IF and Deportivo Alaves, with both opting for the club's well-documented 'project' instead of moving to top European sides.

However, with 10 games to go, Blues are sat seven points adrift of sixth, whilst Wrexham and Southampton both have games in hand, meaning another overhaul looks likely in the summer window in order for a sustained promotion bid to be mounted next season.

And, it is increasingly likely that involves the departure of Kyogo Furuhashi, who, yet again, could become the subject of reunion talk with Celtic.

Chris Davies' latest Kyogo Furuhashi, Birmingham City absence admission only increases departure talk

After a goal and trophy-laden spell at Celtic between July 2021 and January 2025, it was expected that Kyogo would put an underwhelming six-month period with Stade Rennais behind him and become an immediate source of goals for Blues in their aims for the campaign.

However, less than a year after the club struck a deal worth up to £10m on a three-year contract for the 23-time Japanese international, it is looking more and more likely that a departure is on the cards rather than the chances of him staying and proving the understandable sceptics wrong.

Furuhashi has scored just three times in 29 matches across all competitions for Blues, with the last of those coming against Sheffield Wednesday on January 20th - the day the aforementioned Priske's move from Scandinavia was confirmed.

The striker hasn't featured since a nine-minute cameo against Stoke City on January 24th, with an initial absence being revealed as an injury issue, before Davies dropped his latest revelation on the 31-year-old after being quizzed on his omission from Saturday's damaging 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic.

"That’s just a selection," stated Davies.

Such a bombshell comes after the Blues boss spoke about the potential of an exit for Kyogo to an MLS side, with the division's transfer window open until March 26th.

As such, it cannot be ruled out that Kyogo may follow in the footsteps of Josh Sargent, who finally completed a switch from Norwich City to Toronto FC a matter of days ago.

However, neither can a sentimental return to Parkhead.

Celtic FC could launch fresh Kyogo Furuhashi reunion bid in the summer

At various points of the season, Davies had done his utmost to back Kyogo despite a glut of missed chances in crucial encounters.

One of those instances came in January, when the striker became the subject of shock reunion talk with Celtic, who have been under the interim management of Martin O'Neill twice this term, either side of Wilfried Nancy's disastrous reign which followed Brendan Rodgers' exit in October.

However, the ex-Aston Villa boss quashed such rumours, whilst it was also reported that the forward's weekly salary of £40,000 per week in B9 could be a potential sticking point for the Hoops.

As such, there is still a chance that a reunion may be on the cards in the summer, although it depends on whether the Glasgow club are willing to pay the funds which Blues would deem acceptable after their big-money, yet failed transfer.

Taking sentiment away from the deal, it also remains to be seen whether Celtic would see Kyogo as the answer to their current problems, as it is clear how much he has lacked in confidence for a 14-month period.