Chris Sutton says it's debatable whether Shin Yamada will be Celtic's long-term replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi.
The centre-forward departed Parkhead in January for Rennes, although he has since moved on to Birmingham City after his brief spell in France didn't go to plan.
When Furuhashi left, Brendan Rodgers outlined his desire to sign a replacement number nine, although nothing came to fruition.
Callum Osmand has since joined, but he isn't expected to be a regular senior starter.
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Yamada could be, though, and after playing in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship for Japan, he is reportedly set to join Celtic for £1.5 million.
Sutton recently weighed in on the move.
He said [RecordSport]: "And as for the latest striker target, is Shin Yamada going to be the long-awaited replacement for Kyogo?
"We’ll have to wait and see about that, too. At £1.5m Yamada isn’t going to break the bank and he might turn out to be another smash hit.
"No one expected Maeda to become the superstar he now is when he arrived for a similar fee a few years ago. I would hold fire on making comparisons between Yamada and Kyogo, though.
"Kyogo had a stronger track record in the J League for a start. Yamada was prolific in 2024, when he scored more than 20 goals for the season. But he’s only managed a couple in 2025. Likewise, in 2023, his goal return wasn’t too much to shout about.
"On paper and in clips, he does looks a similar type of player to Kyogo. He likes to play not he shoulder and ghost into space, and his best work comes in the penalty area.
"Like Kyogo, he can drift out of games while he waits for his opportunity. He could be a useful addition for Celtic.
"He has some pedigree with one cap for his country – and winning a single cap is always the sign of a top player.
"But will he be ready to be the main striker? It’s debatable."
