Former Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi has been struggling for game time at Stade Rennes, and now manager Habib Beye has provided the real reason behind the Japanese striker’s nightmare start to life in France.
Despite his £10 million transfer from Celtic, Kyogo has yet to score for his new club and has fallen to the fringes of the squad, with 17-year-old Kader Meite preferred over him in last weekend’s 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. He was only given a 10-minute cameo, reinforcing concerns over his role under Beye.
Beye Explains Why Kyogo Has Been Dropped
Kyogo’s persistent shoulder injury, which plagued him during his time in Scotland, has been cited as a possible reason for his struggles, with Ouest-France reporting that the issue may require serious treatment in the summer. However, Beye has dismissed fitness concerns and instead pointed to tactical reasons for the striker’s lack of involvement.
“Kyogo has different abilities from other strikers. He needs to have a focal point, because he’s very mobile,” Beye told Ouest-France.
“He’s a combination player, and we’re working a lot at the moment on these notions of complementarity in attack, so that he feels confident and fully involved.”
Beye’s comments suggest that Kyogo does not fit the current tactical approach at Rennes, which could mean a long road back into the starting lineup unless there is a significant shift in style.
Celtic Return? Ex-Hibs Man Weighs In
With Celtic yet to sign a direct replacement for Kyogo, some fans have speculated that the 30-year-old could make a shock return to Parkhead in the summer—potentially for a bargain fee.
However, Marvin Bartley, the former Hibs midfielder, has shut down that idea, insisting that Rennes are unlikely to sell and that Celtic have moved on.
“I don’t think he will be up for sale. I also don’t think there will be any chance of Celtic bringing him back, either,” Bartley said.
“He had a long time at Celtic, where he did really, really well. He spoke about loving the club and the fans definitely loved him. He scored some vital goals. He scored a lot of goals as well.
“But I think it’s one of those things where both club and player have gone their separate ways now. It would be really, really surprising if we were ever to see him again in a Celtic shirt.”
While Kyogo remains out of favour in France, a return to Scotland appears unlikely for now. However, if his struggles continue, his future at Rennes could come under serious question in the summer.
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