Celtic FC is reportedly looking to bolster its squad with two standout players recently relegated from the J League as the transfer window heats up. Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has scouted Brazilian striker Thiago Santana and Japanese midfielder Yuito Suzuki of Shimizu S-Pulse as potential replacements for outgoing striker Georgios Giakoumakis who is set to head in the opposite direction to Urawa Red Diamonds.
Santana, 29, had a standout season in the J-League, finishing as the league's leading scorer with 14 goals and earning a spot on the league's team of the season. He joined Shimizu S-Pulse for 1 million Euros two years ago after four seasons with Setubal and Santa Clara in Portugal. His impressive goal-scoring record and demonstrated ability to adapt to different leagues make him a strong candidate for Celtic's offence.
Suzuki, 21, is a highly rated midfield prospect who has previously been linked with Celtic. The young star has also been linked with clubs in Belgium, and Postecoglou sees him as an appealing option because of his versatility and potential.
Sorare Analysis
Suzuki:
0.1099 ETH Floor is above recent averages based mostly off of this potential transfer. He's been trading a bit lower than this as we can see from the chart below. A potential bargain to be had if you can get somebody to accept a sale at the previous price around the 0.08 ETH mark in the Rare Scarcity. Whether or not he'll be able to get the minutes at Celtic would be up for discussion however.
Santana:
A floor price of 0.19 ETH is quite punchy on a potential transfer to a side who is not short of attacking options. But should Santana be able to replicate or improve on his scoring in the J League, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the Challenger Europe division, and we could expect his price to rise from here. A pretty risky trade at the current price point, however you would expect Santana to move somewhere outside of Shimizu during this window.
Celtic has a long history of bringing in J-League players, and these two players have the potential to make an impact on the team. It will be interesting to see if these transfer rumours pan out and if these players can adapt to the Scottish league and make an impact for the Bhoys.