Bad news for Iwata as Celtic eye swoop for £4m star

The summer transfer window officially opens for business later this month and Celtic could look to bolster their squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers returned to Glasgow last summer to replace Ange Postecoglou, who joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, for a second spell in the dugout.

The Northern Irish manager ended his first year back at Parkhead with a domestic double under his belt, securing the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup.

However, his side were knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August and finished bottom of their Champions League group, which ended their European adventure before the turn of the year.

Rodgers could now dip into the market to make further additions to his squad ahead of next season in order to make a better fist of their European efforts, as well as aiming to win a domestic treble by adding the League Cup alongside the title and the SFA Cup.

The middle of the park is an area in which the Hoops boss looks set to bolster as the club have been linked with a swoop for a talented young central midfielder, which could be bad news for Tomoki Iwata.

Celtic’s interest in £4m-rated midfielder

According to Daily Express journalist Charlie Gordon, Celtic are one of the teams interested in a swoop to sign Lausanne maestro Alvyn Sanches this summer.

The reporter claims that the Scottish giants are keen on the “highly-rated” starlet after doing extensive scouting work throughout the season to analyse his performances in Switzerland.

He states that English Championship sides Coventry City and Stoke City are also eyeing the youngster up ahead of a possible transfer over the coming weeks and months, which suggests that the Bhoys could face competition for his signature.

Gordon adds that Lausanne are looking for a fee within the region of £4m to allow their midfielder to move on this summer, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to meet that figure.

It is also unclear as to whether or not the Scottish side are willing to place a bid for his services yet or if they are waiting to see if there is movement with other targets before possibly moving on him as an alternative.

With almost three months left to go before the transfer deadline, there is no need for Celtic to rush or panic about signings and they can remain calculated and calm for now.

Irrespective of whether or not Sanches ultimately ends up being the man, the news of the club’s interest in him should ring alarm bells for Iwata, whose place in the side could come under threat.

Tomoki Iwata’s Celtic season in numbers

The Japan international had only played 13 times and started six games in the 2022/23 Premiership campaign under Ange Postecoglou heading into this term.

He may, therefore, have entered into the Rodgers era worrying that he may not have much of a chance of working his way into the first-team on a regular basis.

However, the 27-year-old central midfielder bettered his tally of both appearances and starts in the Scottish top-flight with 19 outings and nine starts by the end of this season.

As you can see in the table above, Iwata proved himself to be a reliable passer in possession with a pass success rate of 90%, which shows that he rarely gave the ball away.

However, the Japanese ace created less than one chance every other game and did not manage at least two tackles and interceptions combined per match, which suggests that he offered little in the way of offensive or defensive quality.

His duel success rates, on the ground and in the air, also suggest that the experienced midfielder was not dominant from a physical perspective, particularly in the air as he lost more than he won.

These statistics suggest that there is plenty of room for improvement and Sanches is a player who could come in to offer more to the team in and out of possession, if he can translate his performances over to Scottish football.

Why Alyvn Sanches would be an upgrade on Tomoki Iwata

The Lausanne star would be a better option than Iwata due to the quality of his work on and off the ball, which is why Celtic’s interest in him is bad news for the Japanese midfielder.

His arrival would place another player between him and the starting XI and the current Hoops gem already has the likes of Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor ahead of him.

Sanches, and possibly Paulo Bernardo, could push him further down the pecking order and leave the 27-year-old battler considering his future, as he may not want to spend a third season barely starting matches or making many appearances.

As you can see in the table above, the Swiss whiz enjoyed a far greater season with four more goals and 0.7 more key passes per game on average.

He also made more tackles, interceptions, and ball recoveries per game, which shows that the left-footed enforcer has the potential to win the ball back far more frequently for the Hoops.

Overall, Sanches’ ability to create things in possession coupled with his aerial prowess and defensive instincts make him appear to be an immediate upgrade on Iwata, who offered little in that regard this term.

At the age of 21, he is also six years younger than the Celtic man and could be a fantastic long-term signing for Rodgers, as a player who could develop and grow over the years to come.

Therefore, the signing of Sanches, should the Hoops get a deal over the line this summer, could spell trouble for Iwata as it could further restrict his game time and bring up questions about his long-term future at Parkhead.