Latest news with #Furuhashi
Japan Forward
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Striker Kyogo Furuhashi Joins Birmingham City on a 3-Year Deal
After earning promotion to the second-tier EFL Championship, Birmingham City signed a bevy of players, including Kyogo Furuhashi, before the upcoming season. Former Celtic FC star Kyogo Furuhashi in action against Scottish Premiership foe St Johnstone in an April 2022 file photo. (©REUTERS) Kyogo Furuhashi lasted just six months in France. He returned to the United Kingdom to play for Birmingham City. The 30-year-old Japanese striker has transferred from the French Ligue 1 club to the second-tier English Football League Championship. Furuhashi, who was a prolific scorer for Celtic FC before joining Rennes, has signed a three-year deal with Birmingham City, according to a plethora of media reports. The team's official website on Sunday, July 6, reported that Furuhashi and the team had finalized the deal. Starting in January 2025, the Nara Prefecture native was on the books for a £10 million GBP (about ¥2 billion JPY, or $13.6 million USD) deal for two-and-a-half-years with Rennes. But Birmingham City identified Furuhashi as a coveted option on offense. Birmingham City earned promotion to the Championship by winning the 2024-25 League One title in English soccer's third tier. Locally, the East Anglian Daily Times applauded Birmingham City's decision to pursue Furuhashi at this time. "The signing is a major statement of intent from Birmingham, who enjoyed a record-breaking promotion season in the third tier last term and are among the favorites to challenge for promotion again in the coming campaign," wrote Mark Heath in an article posted on the newspaper's website. Kyogo Furuhashi (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO) A change of scenery for players can jump-start their motivation for an upcoming season. Case in point: Kyogo Furuhashi. "I'm very happy to be here," Furuhashi said in an interview with Birmingham City's official website on July 6 before adding, "I'm looking forward to working together with you all." Looking back on his past success with the Scottish Premiership's Celtic FC ― including four consecutive league titles in his four seasons with the club (2021-25) ― Furuhashi talked about the excitement he feels in playing against quality opponents and in important matches. "I get fired up more in bigger games, but I score goals because of teammates, so I'm grateful for that," Furuhashi, who only appeared in six Rennes matches, said in the interview. He added, "I'd like to achieve the same here, and hopefully my goals will make everyone happy." During his tenure with Celtic FC, Furuhashi was a prolific scorer, playing an integral role in the team's success. In addition to the four straight Scottish Premiership titles, the Glasgow-based team also won a trio of Scottish League Cups and a pair of Scottish Cups. In the 2022-23 season, Furuhashi was No 1 in the Premiership with 27 goals. And he put the ball in the net 85 times in his 165 Celtic appearances. What is Furuhashi's primary goal with his new team? "I'm here to help the team," he told the team's website, adding, "I'd like to express what I can do on the pitch." Looking at the big picture, he also spelled out a more specific goal for the upcoming 2025-26 season. "I don't want to talk a lot, but there's a chance that we can go up to the Premier League," Furuhashi stated. "We all want to aim for that and after nine months, it will be great if we share the happiness of achieving that." Birmingham City opens its Championship campaign at home on August 8 against Ipswich Town. Midfielder Kanya Fujimoto, who previously suited up for Portuguese club Gil Vicente, has signed a three-year contract with Birmingham City, the team announced on Monday, July 7. Fujimoto, 26, had 10 goals in 30 matches for Gil Vicente in the 2024-25 season. Compatriot Tomoki Iwata, also a midfielder, is entering his second season with Birmingham City. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
The Mainichi
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Football: Furuhashi joins Birmingham from Rennes on 3-year deal
LONDON (Kyodo) -- Japan forward Kyogo Furuhashi has joined Birmingham City from Rennes on a three-year deal, the English second-tier Championship side announced Saturday. The 30-year-old struggled for playing time and scored no goals for Rennes after leaving Celtic for the French Ligue 1 in January and quickly moved on to newly promoted Birmingham, where his compatriot and former Celtic teammate Tomoki Iwata is already on the books. Furuhashi was prolific at Celtic after joining the Scottish side from Vissel Kobe in the summer of 2021, winning eight domestic titles and scoring 85 goals in 165 games over three-and-a-half seasons. "I'm very happy to be here," Furuhashi said on Birmingham's official website. "There's a chance that we can go up to the Premier League. We all want to aim for that and after nine months, it will be great if we share the happiness of achieving that." Celtic, meanwhile, signed 23-year-old defender Hayato Inamura on a four-year deal. The new arrival from Albirex Niigata has taken up the No. 25 shirt previously worn by club and Japan great Shunsuke Nakamura.
Glasgow Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Celtic striker Kyogo completes English Championship move
The Japanese forward, 30, left Rennes after less than six months, having failed to score in six appearances. Birmingham City confirmed the signing on Saturday evening, though the fee remains undisclosed. A club statement said: "Birmingham City is delighted to confirm the signing of Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes for an undisclosed fee, subject to clearance. Read more: "The 30-year-old forward has put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Blues through to the summer of 2028." Furuhashi will reunite with former Celtic coach Chris Davies, now Birmingham's manager, and fellow Japanese player Tomoki Iwata, who joined Birmingham last summer. The pair played 30 times together at Celtic. After winning League One last season, Birmingham are aiming for consecutive promotions, and the addition of Furuhashi is expected to bolster their efforts. The club statement further highlighted Furuhashi's successful stint at Celtic, where he scored 85 goals in 165 games before his move to Rennes in January 2025. His time in Scotland saw him win eight domestic trophies and participate regularly in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Furuhashi's international experience includes 23 caps for Japan since his debut in 2019. Despite his short-lived spell at Rennes, the forward's past performances suggest he could be a valuable asset for Birmingham City in their Championship campaign.
The Herald Scotland
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Kyogo ends Rennes nightmare by linking up with ex-Celtic coach
Furuhashi played just six times for the Brittany-based club, failing to score. He has now joined Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee. The 30-year-old will play under former Celtic coach Chris Davies, who was current manager Brendan Rodgers' assistant during his first spell in Glasgow's east end. Read more: Another Celtic connection for Furuhashi at Birmingham is Tomoki Iwata. The midfielder joined the club last summer. The Japanese pair played 30 times together in green and white. After gaining promotion to the English Championship by winning League One last term, Davies' side are on the hunt for back-to-back promotions. The arrival of Furuhashi could certainly help strengthen their push. His acquisition was confirmed on Saturday evening: "Birmingham City is delighted to confirm the signing of Kyōgo Furuhashi from Rennes for an undisclosed fee, subject to clearance," a statement read. "The 30-year-old forward has put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Blues through to the summer of 2028. "The Japan international has been with French side Rennes since January but is no stranger to British football having enjoyed a successful spell north of the border with Celtic, where he won eight domestic trophies. "Furuhashi was also a regular for Celtic in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and registered impressive goal involvements against the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lazio and RB Leipzig. "In total, he scored 85 goals for Celtic in 165 games prior to his move to Rennes in January 2025. "At international level, Furuhashi made his senior debut in 2019 and has been capped 23 times by Japan."
The National
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Kyogo ends Rennes nightmare by linking up with ex-Celtic coach
The Japanese forward swapped Parkhead for the north of France at the beginning of the year, but the move never worked out. Furuhashi played just six times for the Brittany-based club, failing to score. He has now joined Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee. The 30-year-old will play under former Celtic coach Chris Davies, who was current manager Brendan Rodgers' assistant during his first spell in Glasgow's east end. Read more: Another Celtic connection for Furuhashi at Birmingham is Tomoki Iwata. The midfielder joined the club last summer. The Japanese pair played 30 times together in green and white. After gaining promotion to the English Championship by winning League One last term, Davies' side are on the hunt for back-to-back promotions. The arrival of Furuhashi could certainly help strengthen their push. His acquisition was confirmed on Saturday evening: "Birmingham City is delighted to confirm the signing of Kyōgo Furuhashi from Rennes for an undisclosed fee, subject to clearance," a statement read. "The 30-year-old forward has put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Blues through to the summer of 2028. "The Japan international has been with French side Rennes since January but is no stranger to British football having enjoyed a successful spell north of the border with Celtic, where he won eight domestic trophies. "Furuhashi was also a regular for Celtic in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and registered impressive goal involvements against the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lazio and RB Leipzig. "In total, he scored 85 goals for Celtic in 165 games prior to his move to Rennes in January 2025. "At international level, Furuhashi made his senior debut in 2019 and has been capped 23 times by Japan."
