His preference, of course, would be absolutely none – but there’s one Celtic player Mark Wilson can’t help but think will be on Ange Postecoglou’s mind.
The new Tottenham Hotspur manager was pictured holding the jersey for the first time on Friday. As the weeks go by, he’ll be standing alongside his new recruits as they do the very same thing.
An inevitable talking point from his move south is which of his former Parkhead charges could be tempted into following him. According to ex-Celtic defender Wilson, 34-goal Kyogo Furuhashi is the obvious and outstanding candidate.
But it’s not just about his ability to find the net.
Wilson believes Kyogo is the very embodiment of a Postecoglou team, and the ‘catalyst’ for his Parkhead tenure taking off in spectacular style. The 28-year-old Japan international may not head to Spurs as star striker in a squad that also contains Harry Kane, but as someone who sets the tone for the rest in delivering Postecoglou’s ‘we never stop’ philosophy.
“I wouldn’t like to see any of them going out the door,” Wilson said. “I believe they give Celtic the best chance of retaining the title against a Rangers that, in my opinion, is definitely going to be better than we’ve seen. It also gives them the best opportunity in the Champions League.
“So, none of them I would like to see leaving. But who could I see him coming for? The obvious one is Kyogo.
“Kyogo was brought in and was the catalyst for everything that happened at Celtic. Ange Postecoglou made everybody aware of that, Kyogo was the signing that kicked everything off.
“Even when you hear some of the players talking about Kyogo; the way he plays and the character he is, he really does set the tone for a Postecoglou team. You can understand why he would look at him.
“He would maybe not be the star striker if Harry Kane’s still kicking about, but as someone who can show the others how Postecoglou wants to play. He would press from the front and you don’t get much better than the Kyogo.
“Kyogo’s not the finished article but he’s one of the best strikers I’ve seen up here for a long, long time with his all-round game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ange does make a bid for him.
“Obviously, Celtic supporters wouldn’t thank him for that!”
But if he’s not the finished article, is he up to Premier League standard? Wilson admits that’s a difficult one to answer. There were some similar doubts when he arrived in Scotland from Vissel Kobe, a suspicion that his almost childlike stature would ensure he finds it tough in the rough and tumble of the SPFL.
It’s fair to say Kyogo has made an absolute mockery of anyone who scoffed at his signing, and Wilson believes his supreme intelligence and movement more than negate what he may lack in stature. In fact, so highly does he rate him, the full-back-turned-pundit believes Tottenham may have to shell out a Scottish record fee if Postecoglou is keen on a reunion.
“With players like Kyogo we tend to talk about the physicality side and could he hack it?” said Wilson. “He’s not as big as Odsonne Edouard, physically, or Moussa Dembele who was linked with the Premier League and could probably have handled himself. That would be the only question mark.
“But when you can move like Kyogo and work unselfishly like him, of course you’ve got a chance because nobody likes to play against that. The barometer was the Champions League games, where you could see even the top defences struggled at times with him.
“If he was at Premier League standard, the Celtic fans wouldn’t want to sell him for anything less than £50million – that’s a bargain for strikers in England who can do the full package.
“You’ll never get anything like that up here in Scotland, but if Postecoglou does bid I think it’ll be generous in comparison to what we’ve seen here before.”
Of course, money may not be a factor if Kyogo himself does not want to leave. It barely needs repeating that the forward taken Celtic to his heart, a feeling reciprocated by the supporters.
But for a player who will turn 29 this year, opportunities to play in one of Europe’s ‘top five’ leagues may not come around too frequently as time marches on. Is time running out for Kyogo to play at the very elite level?
“I think so,” Wilson confessed. “Fans need to be realistic about this, they need to understand what the Premier League is. Our league is good and we have a great product up here.
“Kyogo will be well compensated at Celtic, but we’re talking a different stratosphere for players to go down and one, be financially rewarded beyond their wildest dreams, and to play in a league against the best players and best surroundings in the world. With the greatest respect, he’s not going to Fir Park or Dingwall, he’s going to Old Trafford, the Etihad, and the Emirates – terrific places to play football.
“And when he gets to a certain age, of course, he has to look at it. He has two years left on his deal and I hear he’s very respectful to the club, very grateful for what Celtic have given him and how he’s been taken in by the fans.
“But sometimes these things are too good not to look at, and if he does get an offer he’s like any other player, he will look at it.
“And, by the way, maybe it will get taken out of his hands if the bid is that good. Sometimes the finger gets pointed at the player for causing trouble, but sometimes the model at clubs will say ‘we brought him in for X amount, and we’ve got an offer here for 10 times that, we’ll take it’.”
