Kyogo hit with harsh Rennes reality as agent details every step of complex Celtic contract talks amid global interest
Kyogo was stuck kicking his heels on the Rennes bench - as his agent broke his silence over the move to take him out of Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers revealed after his move to the France that the fans' favourite had wanted to depart the Scottish Premiership champions for months and got his wish with a £10million move to Ligue 1. The Hoops hierarchy came under fire from fans after the Hoops boss left without the replacement striker he craved before the deadline. Johnny Kenny is set to play a more prominent role as back-up to Adam Idah while Daizen Maeda smashed home a hat-trick against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup - but his boss has previously admitted his preference to keep him in his wider position in the attack.
Kyogo - who made his debut against Strasbourg - was dropped to the bench on Saturday for the trip to Saint-Etienne and he was left watching on as his new club bagged a crucial three points in a 2-0 win. His agent Joel Pannick has now given a real insight into the deal that took the Japan star out of Celtic last month and all the moving parts that need to be considered and are involved. He also revealed teams from all over the WORLD expressed an interest in his client.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, it is reported the chats took place TWO MONTHS before the winter window opened for business to ensure Celtic had time to finalise a deal for a replacement - which in the end they failed to deliver. He explained: “It’s my job then to understand what the player’s objectives are. We had teams from all over the world express interest. There are certain markets where it would have been a very lucrative contract, but what sporting ambitions would realistically be achieved, particularly with the World Cup in mind in 18 months?
"Then we had to speak to Celtic to understand their perspective because a club has no desire to lose their best player halfway through the season. These things are never easy.
"Often clubs will talk directly up to a certain point and the big number will be agreed, but then the dates of the payments, bonus structures, future sell-on percentages, these small points can become sticking points. There’s no travel booked without the permission of the club.
"Then, there is usually a two-part medical at a hospital and the training ground. There’s cardio work, blood tests, a general check-up. Some clubs are very stringent, others not so much. Then, there is a final check of the paperwork. Your lawyer comes in at that point and the media team will take the player off to take some photos and film a few short videos and coordinate the announcements."
