Daily Record: Ipswich agree £10m Maeda deal with Celtic
According to the Daily Record, Ipswich Town have agreed a £10million deal in principle with Celtic for forward Daizen Maeda. The newly promoted Premier League club would pay an initial £8m, rising to £10m with add-ons, as the Japan international closes in on a move to Portman Road.
Key Takeaways
- Ipswich and Celtic have agreed a fee in principle: £8m rising to £10m with add-ons, per the Daily Record.
- Maeda, 28 and in the final year of his Celtic contract, is expected to undergo a medical later this week.
- The Tractor Boys are training in La Manga; confirmation may wait until they return from Spain.
- BBC Sport reports talks are open, while noting a formal offer had yet to be made in its gossip round-up.
- Celtic have been linked with Egypt winger Haissem Hassan of Real Oviedo as a possible replacement.
What has happened in the Maeda transfer talks?
Ipswich Town have moved decisively for Celtic forward Daizen Maeda as they prepare for life back in the Premier League. Fan site TWTD reports that the clubs have agreed a fee matching the Daily Record exclusive: an initial £8 million, with a further £2 million available in add-ons to take the package to £10 million.
The BBC Sport gossip column said Ipswich had launched a bid and that the sides had discussed conditions over a possible transfer, while noting that a formal offer had yet to be made at the time of that round-up. Later reporting from the Daily Record and TWTD described talks as advanced, with an agreement in principle already reached.
Ipswich are currently on a warm-weather training camp in La Manga, Spain. The Daily Record says it is unlikely the move will be officially confirmed until the squad returns, though Maeda is expected to undergo a medical later in the week.
Why does this move matter for Ipswich and Celtic?
Maeda, 28, has spent roughly four and a half years at Parkhead after joining from Yokohama F. Marinos in January 2022. According to TWTD, he has won five Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups during that spell and has been a fans' favourite at Celtic.
He is in the final year of his contract and has made no secret of his wish to play in England. A big-money move to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg collapsed last summer. Speaking to Japanese TV programme PUSH Sports, Maeda pleaded with Celtic to lower his price tag, saying he wished it would go down so a transfer would be easier.
For Ipswich, signing a forward with Scottish title-winning pedigree and recent World Cup minutes would add proven quality to a newly promoted squad. TWTD notes Maeda has 30 full Japan caps and five international goals, started three of Japan's games at the 2026 World Cup and scored in the 1-1 draw with Sweden.
Celtic, for their part, have been exploring options to replace him. BBC Sport reports the Scottish champions want Egypt winger Haissem Hassan, 24, after his World Cup displays and are exploring the conditions of a potential deal with La Liga 2 side Real Oviedo.
When could Daizen Maeda complete his Ipswich move?
Maeda has yet to report back to Celtic's Lennoxtown training ground after being given extra time off following his World Cup exploits with Japan, the Daily Record reports. TWTD says he is expected to complete a medical later this week and then join Ipswich's squad next week once the La Manga camp is over.
Until paperwork and the medical are finished, the transfer remains incomplete, but all three outlets point to serious progress. Readers following Premier League squad building can find more coverage via our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub, while the authoritative BBC Sport gossip column summarises how the talks first surfaced.
TWTD also revealed Ipswich remain in discussions with another Japanese international, free-agent midfielder Hidemasa Morita, underscoring a broader recruitment push alongside the Maeda fee agreement reported by the Daily Record.