Celtic have loved a beautiful recruitment report in current instances, having secured a raft of top-class expertise on a budget who’ve since gone on to grow to be key figures in supervisor Ange Postecoglou’s facet.
One of probably the most astute captures that chief government Michael Nicholson has remodeled the previous yr or so has been that of Reo Hatate, with the diminutive midfielder having been signed for simply £1.4m from Kawasaki Frontale in January.
Part of a triple J-League swoop alongside compatriots Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi, the 24-year-old took little time to settle following his arrival within the winter window, scoring 4 targets and laying on three assists in 21 video games in all competitions in the course of the second half of final time period.
That tally included a brace on his Old Firm derby debut again in February, with that beautiful show shortly endearing him to the Parkhead trustworthy.
Following that outing, pundit Gabby Agbonlahor urged that the one-cap gem would have already “tripled in value”, with the playmaker’s price ticket prone to have solely risen additional having continued to thrive since then.
The 5 foot 8 “baller” – as described by journalist Stephen McIlkenny – has notably caught the attention on this season’s Champions League journey to date, enjoying a essential hand within the Hoops’ early aim within the current 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Prior to that, the £2.25m-rated ace had sparkled within the defeat to holders Real Madrid on dwelling soil, with Football Scotland reporter Euan Robertson writing that he ‘didn’t look misplaced’ up towards the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos within the centre of the park.
The £14.5k-per-week man has impressed with each his silky high quality in possession in addition to his willingness to make an impression within the ultimate third, having already laid on two assists in simply six video games to date this time period.
Such standout kind has seen him lauded as “one of the biggest bargains in football” by journalist Will Lancaster, who additionally made the suggestion that Hatate might command an asking value of round £25m at current.
While Nicholson and co received’t be seeking to money in on the dynamic asset any time quickly, such a assertion seemingly displays what a exceptional piece of enterprise it was to convey him to the membership for such a small payment.
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