Johan Mjällby believes Celtic could command a transfer fee as high as £50 million for Daizen Maeda.
The Japanese forward has had a remarkable season, earning the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award on Sunday. Maeda has racked up an impressive 33 goals and 11 assists, attracting significant attention from potential suitors. His current contract runs until the summer of 2027, but his form on the pitch has inevitably sparked speculation about a big-money move.
Speaking on Scottish Football Social Club on Premier Sports, Mjällby said:
“I’m not an expert, but I’d estimate somewhere between £45–50 million. Earlier in the season, there was talk of Nicolas Kühn going for £25 million after just a few good months, so Maeda would definitely fetch more—£25 million at the very least.”
Pundit Michael Stewart echoed the sentiment, noting:
“You won’t see clubs paying top-tier fees for players from the Scottish league, but even so, there’s no reason for Celtic to settle for anything under £25 million if they choose to sell.”
On the field, Maeda had a late chance to snatch victory against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday but was denied by a combined effort from Liam Kelly and James Tavernier. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers offered some understanding of the situation post-match:
“We’ve got to cut him some slack. He’d been in Japan all week and only trained with us the day before. He flew back thinking his wife was having their third child—but she didn’t—so he returned and went straight into this intense match at Ibrox.”
Rodgers continued:
“It was a tough moment. He’s clean through—maybe he toe-pokes it, maybe he goes around the keeper—but Liam Kelly did well to close it down. Could he square it? Maybe not. But it shows the hunger we had to keep pushing, to try and win, especially in the second half.”
