Celtic Eyeing Kawasaki Frontale Striker Shinya Yamada as Rodgers Seeks Attacking Reinforcements

Celtic’s Japanese Connection Continues

As someone who’s spent years analyzing South American talent, I can’t help but admire Celtic’s scouting network in Asia. The Scottish Sun reports they’re now targeting Kawasaki Frontale’s Shinya Yamada - a move that makes tactical sense given Brendan Rodgers’ need for attacking options.

Who is Shinya Yamada?

The 25-year-old striker came through Kawasaki’s famed youth system before making his mark at Yokohama桐荫 University. Since joining Frontale in 2023, he’s racked up 119 appearances with 32 goals and 9 assists. Last season’s 19-goal haul (3rd in J-League) shows he’s hitting his prime.

Tactical Fit for Celtic

From my analysis:

• Movement: Yamada excels at finding pockets between defenders
• Finishing: Clinical in the box (1.6 shots on target per 90)
• Work rate: Presses aggressively (7.8 duels won per match)

At €800k valuation, he’d be low-risk with high upside - typical of Celtic’s Asian market approach.

The Bigger Picture

With negotiations ongoing for Niigata defender Hayato Inamura, Celtic might be building a Japanese core. Having tracked similar transitions (like Kyogo Furuhashi), I believe Yamada could adapt quickly to Scottish football’s physicality.

Fun fact: If signed, he’d be the 8th Japanese player in Celtic history - proof their ‘Asia pipeline’ is no fluke.

Verdict

While not yet European-proven, Yamada’s numbers suggest he could thrive under Rodgers’ system. At this price point, it’s a gamble worth taking for the Hoops.