Yuki Kobayashi leaves Celtic, six month loan deal in Japan agreed

It looked like Kobayashi  would be leaving in the January window with a move to HJK Helsinki in Finland that the advanced stages before a shock collapse at the eleventh hour. That left Yuki in limbo as he is clearly not part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans.  Now a report in respected Japanese outlet Sponichi confirms that Kobayashi has at last got a move away from Celtic, signing for top flight J-League outfit Kashima Antlers on a six-month loan deal.

The Sponichi report states:

It was confirmed by the 10th that Kashima will acquire Yuki Kobayashi (23), former U-22 Japan national team defender from Scottish First Division Celtic. According to multiple sources, the contract is expected to be for a limited period of six months.

Yuki Kobayashi was an Ange Postecoglou signing but the Australian gaffer didn’t use him often until the league was won last season and he was given run-out is the dead rubber at Ibrox and away to Easter Road with Celtic losing both those games 3-0 and 4-2 respectively.

Brendan Rodgers had a quick look on summer tour in Japan but Kobayashi picked up an injury and that was that as far as his time at Celtic is concerned. Kobayashi  was highly rated in the J-League but it simply hasn’t been the right move for him, with the robust nature of the Scottish game something he found hard to deal with.

The more of the players that are not in the manager’s plans that can be moved on the better as it will allow him more flexibility to build his own Celtic team, starting this summer.