Soccer

Celtic Resets for Champions League by Signing Jota from Rennes and Selling Kyogo Furuhashi

Peter Klaunzer/Keystone via AP
Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi, left, of Japan, plays the ball as Young Boys’ Loris Benito closes in during a Champions League soccer match between Scotland’s Celtic Glasgow and Switzerland’s BSC Young Boys at the Celtic Park Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.

12:45 JST, January 29, 2025

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Celtic signed striker Jota on Monday in time for the Champions League knockout phase, bringing him back to Scotland for about one third of the fee it got selling him to Saudi Arabia 18 months ago.

Jota spent one year with Al-Ittihad before an offseason move to Rennes, which has sold the Portuguese forward to Celtic for a reported 10 million euros ($10.5 million). Celtic got a reported 29 million ($30.5 million) selling him after his first spell in Glasgow.

In a second deal between Celtic and Rennes on Monday, the French club signed forward Kyogo Furuhashi for a reported 12 million euros ($12.6 million).

Furuhashi’s final game for Celtic was in the Champions League last Wednesday, and he had three disallowed goals in the first half of an eventual 1-0 win against Young Boys.

That win sealed Celtic’s place in the knockout playoffs round and Jota will be eligible to play when those games start on Feb. 11. He cannot be selected for Celtic’s last opening-phase game at Aston Villa on Wednesday. The playoff draw is made on Friday.

Celtic said the 25-year-old Jota signed a deal through June 2030.

Furuhashi averaged one goal every two matches since joining Celtic in 2021 and helped the team win three straight Scottish league titles.

Rennes hopes the 30-year-old Japan international will be just as prolific in its relegation fight, after six straight seasons also playing in European competitions.

Rennes is 16th, the relegation playoff spot, in the 18-team Ligue 1 with just 17 points from 19 matches. Jota scored only once in nine league games.

Furuhashi signed a 2 1/2-year contract and is the third player to join Rennes during the January transfer window.

“I hope to make a rapid contribution to the team’s performances,” Furuhashi said. “The club is not in the position it has been in for the last few seasons, and our objective will be to climb back up the league table. I feel ready to give my all with Rennes.”