What's happened to Kyogo in the MLS since leaving Birmingham City? | OneFootball

Kyogo may go down in history as one of the worst signings in Championship history, but how has he got on since leaving Birmingham in the summer

In terms of hype and the transfer fee surrounding him, Kyogo Furuhashi may be one of the worst transfers in Championship history.

After breaking records in League One, both in the transfer window and on the field, all eyes were on what kind of splash Birmingham could make ahead of their return campaign in the Championship.

Owner Tom Wagner was hoping the Blues could secure back-to-back promotions, and after spending a reported £15 million to sign Jay Stansfield as a third-tier side, the prospect of their marquee signing in the second tier could get fans excited.

One year on, though, Kyogo is no longer at St Andrew's and is now playing his trade in the MLS with LA Galaxy.

How Kyogo Furuhashi became a Birmingham City flop

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Kyogo is one of the most potent frontmen to have played for Celtic in recent years. He netted an impressive 85 times in 165 games, over a goal every other game on average, including 23 in the 2022/23 SPL campaign, which won him the Golden Boot.

The Japanese international left Celtic Park in January 2025 to try to progress his career in a European top-five league, signing for Rennes for £10 million, but he never really got a chance out in France, making just six league appearances.

He was set to be on the move again last summer, and Birmingham made him their big summer arrival ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, spending up to £10 million on his signature.

And it's worth remembering, in his first month at St Andrew's, he was very promising. He caused Ipswich Town plenty of issues on debut, and it was his effort off the post which set up Stansfield for the opener.

He then scored in the EFL Cup win against Sheffield United, and while the goals didn't follow in league action, he was getting into good positions but couldn't find the net, with some hoping that once one went in, they'd start to flow.

That didn't happen, though, and before long, he wasn't even getting into good positions. The emergence of Marvin Ducksch reduced him to an impactless bench option, and then the January arrival of August Priske saw him out of the side completely.

Indeed, he made just two substitute appearances from February until the end of the season, and he was shipped off to the MLS to the LA Galaxy this summer for a fraction of what they paid a year ago.

How Kyogo has gotten on at LA Galaxy

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LA Galaxy marks the third side Kyogo has played for in the past 18 months, and while it's only early days, he hasn't been able to rediscover his Celtic form Stateside just yet.

The 31-year-old came off the bench on his debut in a goalless draw against FC Dallas. He's led the line in the following five outings, but is still yet to score a goal for his new club.

He did, though, win a penalty in their win on Sunday against the New England Revolution, which was converted by former Borussia Dortmund and Germany star Marco Reus.

The Galaxy haven't been devoid of chances, scoring in each of their last four, but Kyogo is yet to make his mark on the scoresheet. With Greg Vanney's side one point off the play-off qualifiers with 10 games remaining, getting the 31-year-old firing could be the difference between making the postseason and not.

Birmingham City aren't missing Kyogo, despite a slow start in front of goal themselves this season

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It's been a fine start to the second season back in the Championship for Birmingham. The Blues are one of two sides still unbeaten through five games, but have drawn four of those.

They've not been firing in front of goal too much so far. Chris Davies' side have scored seven, but own goal and centre-back Phil Neumann currently share the club top scorer position, and before he finally got off the mark on Sunday, Jay Stansfield was having a frustrating start.

That being said, not many Birmingham fans will think that, if they still had Kyogo, they'd be much higher than the 10th place they currently reside in.

The squad at St Andrew's looks ready to fight for a top-eight spot without the 31-year-old, and with their former marquee signing currently failing to make much of an impact in the MLS, they aren't regretting letting him go just yet.