Celtic manager Martin O’Neill makes Daizen Maeda transfer admission

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The Celtic Star

·28 April 2026

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill makes Daizen Maeda transfer admission

Martin O’Neill has admitted that Celtic are likely to sell Daizen Maeda this summer unless the Japanese talisman agrees a new deal with the club...

Daizen had agreed a deal with Bundesliga side Wolfsburg at the end of the summer transfer window last season, with the clubs already having agreed a few. However as Michael Nicholson failed o get his signing targets over the line for for the centre forward position, Daizen, who has already emptied his locker at Lennoxtown and said his goodbyes to his teammates, was forced to stay at the club.

He also committed to remain in January – Celtic’s bleak midwinter after the Wilfried Nancy debacle – and instead committed to seeing out the season ahead of the World Cup Finals this summer, where he will be able to demonstrate his unique attributed on the greatest stage of all.

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Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with teammate Alistair Johnston during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on April 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

After the 3-1 win over Falkirk at the weekend, where Daizen scored twice and was named Man of the Match, the interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill gave another insight into this events and as expected it clearly looks like we have only five more games to marvel at Maeda in the Hoops.

Spirit of ’86 – Celtic team’s welcome to Paradise. Saturday 25 April 2026. Celtic v Falkirk. Scottish Premiership. Photo Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

“He’s got one more year,” Martin O’Neill explained as reported by The Herald. “That would be something (a new contract) the club, and he would have to be talking about.

“If he didn’t want to stay any longer, then that would be a choice for the football club to try and sell him with a year left to run. I just assume that would be the normal thing.

“But he’s come back to a bit of form, which is great. And I’ll look short-term at this minute and see how he can cope with the next five games.”

Daizen Maeda celebrates during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on April 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

“I think there were contract talks with him… was it last August time or was it the time before that? I do know that there were talks and there was a contract in front of him, which he didn’t sign at the time,” Martin O’Neill said.

“I don’t know the position now. Wolfsburg were coming in for him and it didn’t materialise. I think obviously he became a bit despondent because it was a chance for him to play in the Bundesliga.

“So that didn’t happen. Maybe his head was all over the place for a while, but he has certainly settled down. “But in terms of what’s happening in the future, I don’t know.”

Daizen Maeda opens the scoring during Celtic’s 6-2 Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren at Hampden on Sunday 19 April 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Daizen is unlikely to sign a new contract, he’ll want to play in a bigger league before his time playing in Europe is over. And he’ll also want to maximise his earnings and clearly he’ll be able to do that in the Bundesliga, or in England or Spain.

Enjoy him while he’s here folks. Five more wins Daizen. Five more.

Daizen Maeda celebrates during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on April 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)