Brian Laudrup would not be surprised if Ange Postecoglou raided Celtic for Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Hoops' Treble winning gaffer is set to be confirmed as the new boss of English Premier League outfit Tottenham with personal terms and a two-year deal with the option of a third season said to have already been agreed. All that is left to do is thrash out a compensation figure with a report stating the Scottish champions could bank £5million.
Spurs finished eighth in the EPL last season and missed out on European football altogether with a big rebuild required. The 57-year-old transformed the Hoops' fortunes in his two seasons winning five trophies out of six and proving hugely successful in the transfer market.
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One of those big wins has come in the shape of fans' favourite Kyogo Furuhashi, who netted 34 goals this season, and has fired through the half century barrier in just two campaigns. Ange is a huge fan of the striker and with the Harry Kane situation up in the air, Rangers hero Laudrup would NOT be surprised to see the Japan striker join him in North London. He also reckons he would be a real success and handle the step-up in quality.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, he said: "His admiration for Kyogo Furuhashi - as both a player and a person - is clearly immense. Postecoglou has said that, when he was working in Japan, he already knew that he wanted to make the striker his first signing if he ever got a job in Europe. No matter which club or country it was, Furuhashi was coming with him.
"That level of faith is unusual. And it feels particularly relevant when you consider the wider situation at Tottenham. We don't know what is going to happen with Harry Kane this summer, although Spurs insist he's not for sale. He's been linked with Real Madrid after Karim Benzema's decision to leave for Saudi Arabia. Manchester United, too, have a long-standing interest.
"Spurs are going to need a new forward. If not to replace Kane immediately, then at least to give another credible option in that department.
"I wouldn't be surprised at all if Furuhashi ended up joining Postecoglou in London at some point. And I could see him being a success, too. With his movement, his intelligence, his finishing and his work-rate, I think he could handle the step up in quality. He would be a handful even for the more switched-on defenders of the Premier League and, crucially, would understand what his manager wanted from him.
"That's only part of the equation, of course. Would Celtic let their most prolific goalscorer follow their manager out of the door in the same summer? It would have to be a really significant financial offer for a player who still has two years left on his contract.
"In my view, though, Furuhashi has the ability to make an impact at Spurs. And they have the money to try and make a deal happen if it's what Postecoglou wants. His record in the transfer market at Celtic was excellent. A big part of that was looking to players he knew extremely well. Hence the signings from Japan.
"I don't think he will do it to the same extent with Tottenham but there's every chance an element of that approach will continue. Getting players who know the system, know his demands and have the quality to succeed feels like an obvious move for a manager whose approach puts high demands on a team. Furuhashi's name stands out for me."
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