Will Celtic return for Kyogo at Birmingham City? | OneFootball

Kyogo hasn't hit the heights that many expected of him in the Championship, and could be on his way back to Scotland

There arguably hasn't been a more pound-for-pound disappointment in the Championship this season than Kyogo Furuhashi.

The 31-year-old was the first real marquee signing at Birmingham City this summer, and given the expectations that many neutrals had of the League One champions in terms of their spending power and their Premier League ambitions, many felt that he'd be the man to fire the Blues towards back-to-back promotion.

Those expectations weren't based on loose stats, too. Kyogo was one of the most prolific strikers in Scotland for two-and-a-half years while at Celtic, winning the Golden Boot in 2022/23 and netting 10 in 22 in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, prompting an £8.4 million switch to Rennes in the French top flight last January.

Birmingham spent up to £10 million on him in the summer after his time in Ligue 1 saw him struggle to get on the pitch, and his first few games showed incredible promise, albeit with some rather wasteful finishing.

That continued, though, and it seems that, as we head towards the final month of the campaign, Chris Davies has completely given up on him as a starting option, and it may not be long until he finds himself at yet another club, but could it be one that he's familiar with?

Celtic showed interest in a Kyogo return in January

Kyogo has scored just three times in 14 months since he left Celtic, as the 31-year-old has struggled to settle in the top flight in France and now over in the Championship.

There was talk about the Japanese international moving on in January, with fellow second-tier side Swansea City showing interest in him during the final few weeks of the window. But before then, a return to Celtic was being spoken about.

The Bhoys made a loan enquiry in the early stages of the January transfer window, but then-interim manager Martin O'Neill stated that it would have been "unlikely," as Kyogo was still determined to prove himself as a Birmingham player after falling out of favour.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to, and has even fallen out of the squad completely at times in 2026. There'd have been some understanding that, four months into his Birmingham career, he wanted to stay and fight, but right now, an exit seems inevitable.

Kyogo would be best returning to Celtic in the summer

If Kyogo wants to revitalise his career as he enters his thirties, it seems a clear decision to return to the side where he'd enjoyed some of his best years, as trying out his hand at another club in a division he is unfamiliar with may lead to his regression continuing.

Additionally, with two years remaining on his contract, Birmingham may still look to recoup a fee for the frontman.

With Kyogo unproven in the Championship and at an age where there's likely only around two or three years left of him at the peak of his powers, a fellow second-tier side likely wouldn't want to part with too much for him, and neither would a top-flight side in the top five European leagues due to his time at Rennes as well as Birmingham.

Therefore, not only would Celtic be able to afford a decent transfer fee for him and afford his wages, too, but it seems a no-brainer for Kyogo as well, as it allows him to return to a club he's enjoyed success with and play in Europe once again.

There'll be clear disappointment across both parties that it didn't work out for Kyogo at Birmingham, and I'm sure both would agree that now's the time to draw a line under it and look to move on to bigger and better things.