City considering move for Celtic striker Furuhashi

Manchester City are contemplating a move for the Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi.
Pep Guardiola, the City manager, may be in the market for a new forward because Julián Alvarez’s £82million move to Atletico Madrid has left the Premier League champions with no senior centre forward to cover for Erling Haaland.
City, who will re-sign Ilkay Gundogan this week after agreeing a one-year deal with the midfielder, have not definitely committed to moving for another striker, believing they have options in their squad to cover the position, but Furuhashi, 29, is understood to be under consideration along with another younger forward.
At one of Furuhashi’s previous clubs, Vissel Kobe, the striker was managed by Guardiola’s assistant manager Juanma Lillo.
Furuhashi was a regular under Lillo, playing 13 times, scoring five goals and assisting five more in the Spaniard’s seven-month spell in charge of the Japanese club.
At Vissel Kobe, Furuhashi also played alongside Andrés Iniesta, who Guardiola coached during his time at Barcelona.
Celtic would hold out for a club-record fee given Furuhashi’s effectiveness, impact and popularity since he was signed by the former manager, Ange Postecoglou, in 2021. Furuhashi cost £4.5million and has scored 73 times in 135 Celtic games including seven in Old Firm matches against Rangers.
The Japanese international turns 30 in January but he is under contract until 2027 and Celtic have no need to sell, given their buoyant financial accounts, although Furuhashi himself may feel that a chance to move to City would be irresistible. Celtic had prepared for the expected loss of Matt O’Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion for about £25million — equalling their record sale — but the City link to Furuhashi was an unexpected twist on Wednesday morning.
Celtic have just signed Adam Idah from Norwich City for £8.5million with £1million of add-ons, and the Republic of Ireland international was expected to be second choice to Furuhashi, but the City interest could yet result in him becoming his replacement.
Gundogan, 33, will rip up his Barcelona contract to enable a reunion with Guardiola, having left City only a year ago. His new deal will have the option for a further year. He played 51 matches for Barcelona in all competitions last season, which is more than any of his team-mates, scoring five goals and adding 14 assists, and his exit is purely on financial grounds. Barcelona need to get rid of a big earner to register their new signing, Dani Olmo, and Gundogan, who is said to earn about £14million a year, has one of the highest salaries in the club.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal are interested in signing João Cancelo from City. The Saudi club are yet to make a formal bid for the 30-year-old full back but it is understood that they have been in touch with his representatives and have offered him a three-year contract.
Cancelo was loaned to Bayern Munich and then Barcelona after falling out with Guardiola at the start of 2023 over a lack of game time.
Barcelona do not have the money to re-sign Cancelo so the Saudi club are trying to tempt the Portuguese to join them with a bumper contract.
Cancelo, who is also of interest to Juventus and Inter Milan, has three years left on his City contract.