Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are interested in acquiring the services of Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi.
Manchester City are on the lookout for a new striker who can provide cover to Erling Haaland and Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi seems to be on the wishlist of the Premier League giants. According to a report from Fichajes, Pep Guardiola’s team are scouting the Japanese striker ahead of a potential transfer.
Furuhashi made a name for himself while playing for Vissel Kobe before making the move to the Scottish club in the summer of 2021. The 29-year-old has only gone from strength to strength since moving to Europe and his consistent performances in the final third have attracted a lot of attention.
The Japanese international has 75 goals and 16 assists in his 139 outings for Celtic. 24 of those goal contributions came last season and his performances seem to have put him on the radar of Manchester City.
Guardiola’s team parted ways with Julian Alvarez during the summer as the Argentine international joined Atletico Madrid in a big-money move. While they were keen on bringing in a like-for-like replacement, City could find one time.
Erling Haaland is the only out-and-out striker in their squad. As a result, the Spanish manager is desperate to bring in a backup option someone who can provide cover and allow their star striker to get some rest in what is going to be a very lengthy season.
City step up interest in Kyogo Furuhashi
They are interested in the services of Kyogo Furuhashi who was on their wishlist in the summer of 2023 as well. They did consider signing him back then but the move fell through. However, City seem to have reignited their interest in the Japanese ace.
They have stepped up their interest and asked their scouts to watch him in action in their recent UEFA Champions League game against Slovan Bratislava. The 29-year-old marked the occasion with a goal and City scouts who were in the stands would have surely taken note of his performance.
The Manchester-based club are keen on signing a new striker and Furuhashi’s name could be discussed in the City office when the window reopens. While he still has around three years left on his deal, Guardiola’s team have the financial strength to prise him away.