Daizen Maeda stood on the pitch at the 2026 World Cup, scoring for Japan against Sweden in a 1-1 draw. Seven months later, the forward who helped his country reach the last 32 before Brazil knocked them out has finally realised a different dream: Premier League football.
Ipswich Town have signed the 28-year-old from Celtic on a three-year contract, with the deal reported to be worth £10m. Maeda becomes the latest addition to Gary O'Neil's squad after the Tractor Boys secured promotion back to the top flight by finishing second in the Championship under previous manager Kieran McKenna last season.
“Ipswich sign Japan forward Daizen Maeda from Celtic for £10m on a three-year contract.”
"I have always dreamed of playing in the Premier League and I am very happy I can realise that dream with this club," Maeda told Ipswich's website. "My aim will always be to battle hard, score goals, and provide assists for my team - I will always run and give everything that I have."
Maeda leaves Celtic with a formidable record: 79 goals in 212 appearances, five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League cups. His four-and-a-half years in Glasgow, he said in a social media post to the "Celtic family", were "the most special chapter of my career and my life".
Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil, who took over at Portman Road in the summer after McKenna's departure, believes Maeda will be "a valuable member" of the squad. "He works extremely hard and has impressive physical attributes, while also proving over a number of years playing in Scotland that he has the ability to score goals and create for his team," said O'Neil.
Maeda joins a flurry of new faces at Portman Road. The club have also signed defender Issa Diop, winger Abdul Fatawu, striker Emersonn and goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen, while defenders Cedric Kipre and forward Chuba Akpom turned their loan moves into permanent deals.
For Celtic, Maeda's departure leaves a gap. He arrived as a relatively unknown J-League attacker in the early days of Ange Postecoglou's tenure, initially on loan in December 2022, then permanently the following summer. His pace and energy became a hallmark, but it was the 2025-26 campaign that he will be most fondly remembered for at Celtic Park.