Celtic's wise gamble could collapse as failing signing linked with return home

Struggling Celtic forward Shin Yamada has been linked with an exit amid struggles out on loan. Yamada arrived at Celtic Park as another exciting Asian talent in 2025 after he scored 25 goals in 86 league games for Kawasaki Frontale, earning a senior cap for his nation along the way.

But in eight league games he failed to manage a goal, and he was sent out on loan German club Preuben Munster, where he scored three in 10 league appearances.

This season, Yamada has been sent to OH Leuven, where he has found things difficult, yet to find the net so far.

When he signed for Leuven, their sporting director Gyorgy Csepregi said: “Shin Yamada is a Japanese international who just missed out on the World Cup squad. We have been following him since he played alongside Ominami at Kawasaki, but back then he was unattainable.

"He didn't get many playing opportunities at Celtic FC, so now there was a chance to sign him and we didn't hesitate. Yamada is a player with good running ability, he positions himself well and scores goals easily. He has exactly the profile we were looking for.”

There is still time for Yamada to turn things around at Leuven, but given he is not a young player, now 26 years of age, it would be a surprise if he has a future at Celtic, although things could change when Martin O'Neill likely departs at the end of the season.

But Football Tribe Japan are reporting that Yamada could be set for a return to the JLeague in the not too distant future.

It's not clear whether there are actually any interested clubs from Japan at this stage, and it could be a case of pure speculation given Yamada's struggles. Yamada did pretty well back in his home country, so it is logical to speculate that a return home could be on the cards next summer.

Celtic paid around £1.5million for Yamada last year, so it's not a major investment to lose, and they are likely to get something back for the forward, even if it's not quite that figure.

Many of the Bhoys' Asian recruits have panned out brilliantly and brought huge profits, so Celtic won't be too bothered by one or two of their speculative investments not working out. That's the nature of transfers, and with a low investment, the risk remains pretty low.