Brendan Rodgers won’t stand in anyone’s way if their heart is set on a move away from Celtic, but he sees no trouble in Kyogo Furuhashi.
Atlanta United have been linked with the Japanese forward this transfer window, even after Major League Soccer apologized for wrongly reporting that the Georgian club had bought him from the Hoops.
Furuhashi double takes his Celtic tally to 85 4-1 win over Ross County on Saturday but some observers noted that he lacked his usual enthusiasm during the celebrations.
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Highlights from Dingwall as Keogh scores twice as Celtic beat Ross County
At 29 and with three-and-a-half seasons behind him in Glasgow, speculation is that Furuhashi could be ready to explore pastures new.
Rodgers is prepared to face the consequences if there is a big-money offer for any of his players.
“I think the biggest thing is that if a player doesn’t want to be here, then go,” said the Northern Irishman. “And it’s at that point, then the club has to get the best possible deal. So I never see the point in keeping someone who doesn’t want to be here.
“But I think it’s all coincidences for us. Whether it’s injuries, whether it’s transfers. You always have to be ready and that’s our message.
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Chris Boyd and Chris Sutton have praised Celtic’s Keogh after an impressive performance against Ross County.
“But for him (Kyogo) at the moment he is happy, working well, scoring goals and enjoying his football.
“People are always looking at something. “he didn’t celebrate enough, or he didn’t do this, or he didn’t.”
“I see him every day, I see his intensity. And maybe he doesn’t have to celebrate like crazy all the time. But he’s the same guy.
“But there’s always speculation and we’re not afraid of speculation and gossip. So there’s always going to be trivia around him.”
Furuhashi has adapted to a wider position at Dingwall, leaving Adam Ida as centre-forward with Nicolas Cooney, Luis Palma and likely Daisen Maeda in the squad for Tuesday’s clash at Dundee. Live on Sky Sports – One of the central attackers may be left out of the team.
Ayda would perhaps be favorite to miss out after going 11 matches without a goal, but Rodgers insists he is pleased with the Irishman’s performance.
“I was really pleased with his contribution,” Rogers said. “I don’t need my striker to score 40 goals a season, I don’t really. If you look at any of my teams, the goals are always spread out. I need the players to be aggressive.
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“There were some great moments for him at the weekend. Yes, he didn’t get his goal, but he made important contributions for us and allowed other players to attack the space. He works very, very hard.
“I just think it’s one of those, at some point it’s going to come down to him. But if we’re scoring four goals and your striker isn’t scoring, you’re going to take it.”
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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has explained what surprises him about his players as he looks ahead to Tuesday’s game against Dundee, live on Sky Sports.
Jonny Kenny replaced Ida on his Celtic debut after scoring 25 goals on loan.
Rodgers will weigh up whether to keep the 21-year-old Irishman at the club or send him back on loan to gain more experience, having been impressed by his energy, enthusiasm and work ethic at Dingwall.
“We will continue to monitor him and that will be the next decision. Does he stay and participate or does he still need more time on loan?
“But at the moment I’m really pleased. He’s shown great enthusiasm for the football and he’s doing really well. And I can see he’s a really, really good finisher.”
