Daizen Maeda Opens Up on Celtic Exit: 'My Strongest Desire is the Premier League'

Daizen Maeda has made no secret of his ambition to leave Celtic this summer, with the Japan international reiterating that he is desperate for a move to the Premier League. The forward starred for the Samurai Blue at the World Cup, though their tournament ended prematurely after they squandered a lead against Brazil in the knockout stage. That disappointment contrasted with an impressive club season at Parkhead, where Maeda tallied 17 goals and 10 assists across all competitions in 2025/26 – including seven goals in five games after the split. But Maeda, who turns 28 this year, has now confirmed that he was already pushing for an exit last summer. Rumoured interest from Brentford and Wolfsburg came to nothing when Celtic blocked the move, unable to find a suitable replacement during a difficult transfer window. Now, with just 12 months remaining on his contract, a departure looks inevitable. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill acknowledged the situation. “I think there’s some resignation in that aspect,” he said when asked whether Maeda will leave. “It isn't one of those where he’s got a year left to run and we want to try and make something of it in the sense of getting money. Personally speaking, I would love it if he just let his contract run through and played for the last year. Honestly, it would be super. I don’t know whether that’s in his mind or in his agent’s mind. I’d love him to stay. I’m not sure that’s going to happen.” Maeda himself has now doubled down on his intentions. Speaking to PIVOT, he said: “I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League ever since I went to Celtic, so I think this year might be my chance. My strongest desire is to play in the Premier League for at least a year. I haven’t really thought about what comes after that. I think it’s the best league, and I’m confident I can make it there, so that’s why I want to take on the challenge. “There are certain strengths to being Japanese, and I believe that no matter which team I join, there will always be many who want me. I want to showcase those strengths of being Japanese.” Maeda, however, admitted that a deal is not yet done. “It’s really not decided yet. It’s about negotiations between Celtic and the other party. Until that’s finalised, I still have one year left on my contract with Celtic. For me, it’s simply that I want to play in the Premier League, and I don’t care which team it is; I just want to play here. So, no matter which team it is, what I have to do won’t change. I think that’s the only thing that matters when it comes to fighting.”