*This content was translated by AI.
Japanese national soccer team striker Kyogo Furuhashi (31), who plays for Birmingham City in the English Championship (second division), has been raised to move to Swansea City in the same league.
Britain's "Football League World" reported on the 31st (Korea Standard Time) that "Swanji is showing interest in Birmingham City striker Kyogo Furuhashi."
According to media, Swansea reduced the need to reinforce its offense shortly after losing 1-2 to Hull City in a league match on the 24th. Birmingham is also reportedly willing to hear an offer for Furuhashi if an appropriate offer is made.
Furuhashi left the French Ligue 1 Stade Rennes last summer and wore a Birmingham uniform with a transfer fee of more than 10 million pounds (about 19 billion won). However, he has been performing less than expected for several months since joining the team. He suffered a long silence as he struggled to adapt to the league, and he has yet to show his destructive power as a former top scorer at Celtic, as he reported his late league debut goal only against Sheffield on the 20th.
Furuhashi was simply the "king" when he was at Celtic. Upon joining the team in 2021, he emerged as a key fixer for the team and became the first Asian player to become the top scorer of the Scottish Premiership with 27 league goals in the 2022-2023 season. At the time, he played the leading role in league MVP and domestic treble (triple crown) and remains one of the most loved strikers by Celtic fans.
At that time, Korean national striker Oh Hyun-kyu (Henk) was also pushed by Furuhashi and did not get many opportunities to play. Oh Hyun-kyu, who joined Celtic ambitiously in 2023, was mainly used as a second-half joker due to Furuhashi's stronghold, who was enjoying his prime by sweeping the league's top scorer and MVP at the time. He worked hard despite limited opportunities, but it was not enough to push Furuhashi away with an unwavering ace. In the end, Oh Hyun-kyu chose to transfer to Genk, Belgium, in the summer of 2024 to play.
However, in just two years, the situation of the two players has completely reversed. While Oh Hyun-kyu, who showed his full capacity on the Belgian stage, is currently receiving hot love calls from a number of English Premier League (EPL) clubs, Furuhashi lost his pride by failing to adapt even in the second division, the Championship.
Swansea highly value Furuhashi's tactics. Furuhashi is a suitable resource for Swansea's intense high-press tactics, the media said. "He can use his fast feet to dig into the space between defenses and penetrate the background." "It will be a different type of attack option than Swansea's ace at the moment," he said.
The problem is cost and me. Regarding the recruitment of Furuhashi, the media said, "It's a very interesting rumor," but pointed out, "The age of 31 and weekly wages of 40,000 pounds (about 70 million won) are a very big risk for the club."
Therefore, the rental format is considered a realistic alternative rather than a complete transfer. The media predicted, "There are cautious voices for full recruitment, but if we use it as a rental until the end of this season, it can benefit all parties."
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*This content was translated by AI.
