Pundit has Birmingham City transfer U turn over Kyogo as Celtic hero changes his mind after one game
The Celtic favourite is already making an impression south of the border with Birmingham City
A pundit has admitted that he’s already pivoted on his opinion of a Celtic hero’s move to Birmingham City this transfer window.
The Hoops’ recruitment back in Glasgow is coming under fire, with striker a position fans are keen to see bolstered. Kyogo left for Rennes in January and wasn’t replaced in the winter, with that move to France working out calamitously for the Japanese international, who’s game time was almost instantly reduced in Ligue 1.
English Championship newcomers Birmingham City are now managed by ex Hoops coach Chris Davies, who moved to sign Kyogo in a deal reported to be worth around £10m. Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman was unsure of a move for the forward who shone at Parkhead between 2021-2025 at that price but watching an impressive debut first hand in a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town has convinced him otherwise.
Kyogo impact at Birmingham City
Goodman told Football League World: “I must admit with regards to Kyogo, I did think it was a lot of money, but having seen him first-hand on Friday night, I really, really thought he was outstanding. He is going to be really exciting, and you could hear and feel the appreciation of the Birmingham City fans of the work rate. The work rate, he just never stopped running.
“He does that thing that defenders hate in that he just runs in behind them and stretches the play, so I think that both him and Birmingham City are in line for a really, really good season this year.”
Meanwhile, Celtic are preparing for a Premier Sports Cup tie with Falkirk at the last 16 stage. Soon, they will face a nightmare journey to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty in a Champions League play off clash over two legs and with the first battle on home soil, Callum McGregor admits home advantage could become more crucial than ever.
Celtic vs Kairat Almaty travel nightmare
He said ahead of the game against the Bairns in a club interview: “It's going to be a tough tie. Obviously the travel and everything else comes into that and the preparation. We've got the home game first and we want to try and maximise that, as we would against any opponent, but it could be even more important now that we try and do the absolute maximum to get a good result at home, and then negotiate the travel.
"It's a tough team and we know it will be a tough tie. It's a good tie for us but one that we'll have to be at our best to get through. Hopefully we can go over there with belief from the first game."
Rodgers added: “Of course, everyone would have preferred a shorter travelling distance, but they got through, they won the tie, so we'll play the two legs and our objective is to get through. We can really analyse them now and be prepared for the first leg next week. We'll do everything we can to make sure we get into the league phase."