Leaving behind the big league failures, he aims for a comeback. Japan national team forward Kyogo Furuhashi (30) has completed his transfer to Birmingham City.
Birmingham officially announced on the 6th (Korea time) through their club website, "We have completed the signing of forward Furuhashi. He has signed a three-year contract with the Blues (Birmingham's nickname), making him the latest player to join the club this summer."
Birmingham said, "We are very pleased to secure a deal with Furuhashi from Stade Rennais at an undisclosed transfer fee. The 30-year-old forward has signed a contract until the summer of 2028. Japan national team player Furuhashi has been playing for Rennais in France since last January, but enjoyed success at Celtic, winning eight trophies. Thus, British football is not unfamiliar to him."
According to local media in the UK, Furuhashi's transfer fee is around £10 million (approximately 18.6 billion won). Birmingham expressed anticipation, stating, "Furuhashi made impressive contributions as a starter for Celtic in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, recording noteworthy attacking points against teams like Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lazio, and RB Leipzig."
Born in 1995, Furuhashi is a forward who drew attention while playing for Celtic. He is a relatively small winger at 170cm tall with quick feet, but has often played as a central striker since joining Celtic in 2021. He swept the Scottish stage with his ability to make sudden runs into space and his remarkable finishing.
In particular, Furuhashi blossomed in the 2022-2023 season. He scored 27 goals in 36 league matches, claiming the top scorer title, as well as the league MVP award, the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award, and the Celtic fans' Player of the Year award, achieving a personal 'fourfold crown'. He was truly the best player in the Scottish league.
Furuhashi, who previously played alongside Oh Hyun-kyu, Yang Hyun-jun, and Kwon Hyuk-kyu, chose a new challenge last January. He left Celtic to join Rennais in the winter transfer market. His overall record at Celtic included 85 goals and 19 assists in 165 matches over three and a half seasons.
However, the barriers of the big league were high. Furuhashi failed to demonstrate his abilities at Rennais and quickly fell out of the starting competition. He was ranked lower than the team's youth prospects in terms of playing time. Throughout the second half of the season, he managed to play only 120 minutes over just six matches.
After his failure in France, Furuhashi ultimately parted ways with Rennais after just six months. Birmingham, who was seeking reinforcements, reached out to him. With the efforts of Baek Seung-ho, Birmingham claimed the League One (England's third division) championship last season and successfully earned promotion to the Championship (second division).
Now the next goal is the Premier League. Birmingham is actively moving, already having signed Demarai Gray, Alphonse Semenyo, and Tommy Doyle, now adding Furuhashi to their roster.
Furuhashi, who will be dining with his Japanese teammate Tomoki Iwata and Korean national team midfielder Baek Seung-ho, expressed, "I am very happy to be here," adding, "I thrive in big matches. However, I score thanks to my teammates, so I am grateful to them. I want to show the same form here. I hope my goals will make everyone happy."
In addition, Furuhashi noted, "I have great memories from winning many championships at Celtic. It was a wonderful time for three and a half, four years. I felt really lucky because many fans still greet me. However, this is a new place, and I want to do my best," adding, "I came here to help the team. We have a chance to get promoted to the Premier League. I want to share the joy of achieving that goal in nine months."
[Photo] Birmingham, Celtic social media.
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