A costly experiment
Celtic spent £1.5 million to bring Japanese forward Shin Yamada from Kawasaki Frontale, hoping to plug a persistent centre‑forward vacancy that had left the side scrambling for options.
The investment quickly unraveled; Yamada failed to break into the first team, managing only seven appearances and a single goal during a loan spell at Preussen Munster before being sent on loan to Oud‑Heverlee Leuven in Belgium, a deal that runs until the end of the current season.
The episode has been cited as a clear example of poor decision‑making by the club’s hierarchy, with former manager Brendan Rodgers among those who felt the signing was forced upon him in a moment of desperation.
The misstep underscores a broader pattern of hurried transfers that have not delivered the expected return, raising questions about the competence of those who sanctioned the deal.