In a recent interview (via Birmingham World), Stiliyan Petrov tipped his former club Aston Villa to move in for Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi. The ex-Villans star has urged the West Midlands club to get a deal done for the Japan international.
Furuhashi’s Impressive Form At Celtic This Season
Furuhashi has made a decent start to this campaign as he has already put in a handful of impressive displays for Celtic in the final third. The Japanese talent has participated in nine matches for the Glaswegian outfit this season, scoring four times and earning two assists in multiple competitions.
The 29-year-old has led the line well and deserves some credit for averaging 3.7 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership. However, he has to find a way to improve his link-up play up top based on his pass success rate of 72% in the Scottish top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Midlands club will run out in the summer of 2027 which would make it tough for the Villans to snap him up on the cheap if they decide to move in for him next year.
Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Go For Furuhashi?
Furuhashi is proficient at finding some space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He has got the vision to create some inviting chances for his teammates on the offensive end of the field and can be a decent finisher up top.
However, the Japanese sensation has to find a way to improve his ball distribution in the opponent’s half. Plus, there are some concerns over whether Furuhashi can maintain his good record in the Premier League if Aston Villa decide to make a move for him in the future.
We can expect him to inject more firepower into Unai Emery’s defence. He has what it takes to compete for a first-team spot at Villa Park in the coming years. At 29, Furuhashi is playing his prime which makes him a decent option for the West Midlands club to consider next year.
The Japanese talent could even help the Villans challenge across all fronts in the future. Thus, it makes sense for Emery to go for a player of his quality and experience soon.
