Celtic FC sent clear Birmingham City, Kyogo Furuhashi transfer message | OneFootball

Kyogo Furuhashi has struggled to find his best form at Birmingham this season

Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew has urged the club to pursue the return of Kyogo Furuhashi from Birmingham City this January.

The forward joined the Blues last summer following their promotion to the Championship, with their sights set on competing for a place in the Premier League straight away.

The 30-year-old arrived from Rennes, where he struggled for consistency and regular game time after his move from the Glasgow outfit in January 2025.

Furuhashi has so far featured 23 times in the league for Birmingham, starting on seven occasions, but he has yet to contribute a single goal or assist for Chris Davies’ side, much to the frustration of Blues supporters.

The Japan international has failed to live up to expectations after arriving in a deal worth up to a reported £10 million, with the hype surrounding his arrival having been significant following his previous goal-getting exploits north of the border.

Celtic urged to pursue Birmingham City, Kyogo Furuhashi deal this January

Mulgrew has claimed that Celtic should be seeking a move to bring Furuhashi back to the club this month, as they look to solve their issues in front of goal.

He believes that the forward is a proven goal scorer at Scottish Premiership level, and that he would be happy to come back to his adopted home after the success he enjoyed during his stint at Parkhead.

Celtic have endured a nightmareish campaign amid the recent sacking of Wilfried Nancy, with the Frenchman's brief tenure proving an unmitigated disaster.

Now positioned third in the league standings behind league leaders Hearts and bitter rivals Rangers, Celtic will need something special in the second-half of the season in order to retain the title and have been urged to return Kyogo from his own nightmare at Birmingham.

“I would be trying to get Kyogo straight away,” said ex-Blackburn star Mulgrew, via The Go Radio Football Show podcast.

“I've heard the rumours.

“If he's available, I would 100 per cent bring Kyogo back.

“You know, he would get a player that's not scored loads of goals at Birmingham? If he's available, you get a player back who's happy, at home, and yeah, he's a proven goalscorer.”

Furuhashi spent three-and-a-half seasons at Celtic, where he contributed 63 goals from 116 appearances in the Premiership.

He was a part of title winning campaigns in each of his years in Scotland, and was a crucial figure under Ange Postecoglou.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Glasgow outfit could convince Birmingham to cash in on the player after he joined the Championship side in the summer.

Davies’ side are 14th in the table after 26 games played, seven points adrift of the play-off places ahead of their FA Cup third round clash against Cambridge United on 10 January.

Kyogo Furuhashi departure for the right price might make sense for Birmingham City

Furuhashi hasn’t delivered on what was expected of him in the summer, so if Celtic come in with the right offer, then a sale might make a lot of sense.

The winger arrived for a big fee, and it was hoped he could find some of the form he had in Scotland to power the team to a promotion push.

But that hasn’t happened, and he has really struggled to play at his best, so if they can recoup any of the fee paid for him now that would be good business.

A return to Celtic might be what Furuhashi needs to get back to his best, as he hasn’t been the same player since his departure last year.