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The story
Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate looked all but certain to leave the club this summer, but the possibility of him staying has suddenly emerged. British media report that he has turned down offers from Greece, Austria, and MLS, and that he himself hasn’t given up hope of a move to one of Europe’s top-5 leagues.
On 5ch, this “bold gamble” drew a mix of hopeful and harshly critical reactions.
MF Reo Hatate, who previously played for Kawasaki Frontale, looked set to leave Celtic this summer, but the possibility of him staying has now emerged. He’s already drawn interest from England’s second-tier West Ham United and Greek top-flight side Panathinaikos, with rumors of a move to Kashima Antlers as well — but unlike forward Kyogo Furuhashi (LA Galaxy), he has turned down a move to MLS (America’s Major League Soccer). A move to the Middle East is also said to be possible.
British outlet the Herald reported on the 17th that “Reo Hatate has turned down offers from Greece, Austria, and MLS.” The player, who is out of manager Martin O’Neill’s plans, has reportedly received offers worth several million pounds, and has also drawn interest from Middle Eastern clubs.
The same outlet also reported that “Hatate is eager to challenge himself in one of Europe’s top-5 leagues.” The article also touches on the background behind his rejection of offers from multiple clubs, writing that “Hatate, who has been left out of the matchday squad for weeks since the transfer window opened without being given playing time, is waiting on offers from other clubs and has shown he’s willing to bet on getting his chance at Celtic.”
Source: news.jp / Original article here
What people said
The local praise and expectations for his future were off the charts.
Just going by that one match, he looked like a star (lol)
It's basically like being told 'this is as far as you go as a player.'
First it's 50/50 whether a teammate is even there.
Then on top of that it's 50/50 whether the pass actually gets to them.
It's less that his field of vision is narrow and more that the whole concept of 'vision' barely exists for him.
Don't know about his Kawasaki days, but at Celtic his play has been unstable.
During one international break he wasn't used in either of the 2 matches and blew a fuse.
There's footage of (national team manager) Moriyasu looking flustered because of it.
I think that's when he stopped getting called up to the national team.
If anything, it'll probably be a free transfer once his contract runs out.
Better than being frozen out at Celtic.
The word is his performances have been inconsistent.
Son of a PL Gakuen (a famous Osaka high school baseball powerhouse) player
If he'd played baseball he'd be a major leaguer
Even a middle schooler's essay would be written better than that.
A comeback to the national team at this point is probably impossible too, so he might as well go make one last payday in the Middle East.
I think so too.
Once he chose Celtic, he should just accept it's a money-first career from here on.
I feel like Celtic bought a player from them for big money just last week, so I think that's just a rumor.
Still better than Ideguchi, whose name you don't even see anymore though.
Not 'Reo, the flag-bearer' (旗手/hatate is also the Japanese word for 'standard-bearer')
Never smiles either.
Doesn't seem like the type teammates would really warm to.
I've only ever seen photos of him scowling and standing alone.
Though that might just be the media cutting things to look bad on purpose.
Furuhashi went on to Rennes and Birmingham after all.
It's just that Hatate doesn't have enough ability and got pushed out.
If he plays well his value shoots up fast, which is bad if he's aiming for a top-5 league.
It'd be fine if he did what Yokota did — play in the German 2nd division (Bundesliga 2) first.
He's not getting used at Celtic anymore anyway.
You're seriously underestimating West Ham, man.
Well, he got blinded by the money, I guess.
Though even on a free transfer to the J.League he'd probably still get around 300 million yen (~$2M).
Better to sit on the bench and get paid a fortune, no?
You look impressive while you're doing well at Celtic, but once you move elsewhere, reality hits.
So Celtic's like the Dragon Palace, huh (a mythical undersea palace from folklore where you lose track of time and reality).
Look again.
It's Greece, Austria, and MLS.
Even Furuhashi only ended up at a lower-table French club.
Rennes is one of the wealthier clubs in Ligue 1, so Furuhashi's case is a bit different.
If Hatate wants to play in a top-5 league, his only real shot is an 'elevator club' (one that bounces between divisions) like Bundesliga's St. Pauli (Fujita, Ando, Hara) or Ligue 1's Le Havre (Seko, Mizuta, Nakamura-Sou).
All six of those players moved on free transfers or for cheap fees, so coming from Celtic makes it tough.
Background and Key Points
Celtic play in the Scottish Premiership, a league outside Europe’s “top five” (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France) despite being a continental heavyweight domestically — regular treble winners and Champions League/Europa League participants who habitually sell their best players onward. That pipeline is why a move there is normally seen as a stepping stone: Kyogo Furuhashi used it to reach Ligue 1’s Rennes before Birmingham, and Hatate himself arrived from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2022 to instant acclaim, scoring twice on his Old Firm derby debut against Rangers. Posts referencing his father’s baseball background and the Moriyasu national-team snub situate him as a player whose early promise cooled once Celtic stopped picking him and he faded from Japan squad selection.
The thread’s real fault line isn’t whether Hatate is talented — it’s whether refusing Greece, Austria, and MLS to gamble on Celtic (or a mythical top-5 move) is admirable self-belief or delusion, since with two contracted years remaining and no first-team minutes, several posters argue no top-5 club is realistically coming for him at all.
What outside readers may miss is the financial logic underneath the football logic: multiple posters note that sitting unused on Celtic’s bench, or eventually cashing out in the J.League or Middle East, still pays handsomely, meaning “staying” may be a wage decision as much as an ambition one. The thread also never engages with why West Ham specifically was passed over, despite being floated as his most plausible route back into a bigger league.
*This article is an excerpt and summary based on the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Sokuho+) thread “[Soccer] Reo Hatate may stay at Celtic! Turns down three offers, ‘eager to challenge one of Europe’s top-5 leagues’! Middle East move also emerging“.
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