Celtic Legend Chris Sutton Blasts 'Bad Deal' as Daizen Maeda Nears Ipswich Move

Celtic legend Chris Sutton has taken a strong swipe at his former club over the impending sale of Daizen Maeda, calling it a poor piece of business for everyone involved. Maeda, who has been a standout for Celtic since arriving in 2022, has agreed to join Ipswich Town for a fee just under €12 million. The 29-year-old Japanese international scored 50 goals across all competitions over the last two seasons and is entering the final year of his contract, having signaled a desire for a new challenge. Sutton, never one to hold back, voiced his frustration on social media. Writing on X, he said: “😂😂😂 Maeda is worth much more than £10 million and will find himself playing Championship football the following season. Bad deal for Celtic and Maeda…” The post reflected Sutton’s belief that Ipswich will struggle to stay in the Premier League. Maeda had been pushing for a move to England’s top flight and even asked Celtic to lower their asking price to help push the deal through. A medical is scheduled for this week, and the striker looks set to get his wish. Maeda’s departure only adds to the pressure on Martin O’Neill to bring in a striker, following the exit of Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian forward joined Turkish second-division side Bursaspor on a free transfer earlier this month after Celtic failed to trigger a one-year extension in his contract. Talks over new terms broke down amid reports Iheanacho was demanding over €50,000 per week, though Bursaspor president Enes Celik dismissed that, stating the forward’s guaranteed salary is €1.4 million per year – roughly €25,000 per week. Celik confirmed a three-year agreement and pointed out that other players in the league earn more but are nowhere near Iheanacho’s quality.