Ipswich Town have signed the Japanese international forward, Daizen Maeda, on a three-year contract, with the move coming as a move to strengthen their attacking arsenal ahead of the club’s Premier League return.
The 28-year-old is said to be coming in at £10m and will be a mid-market signing with decent output and high work-rate data. Ipswich have a wide net to cast, seeking out those who can storm the Premier League tempo, but aren’t intimidated by it, will be physically capable, and will be able to help them score.
Maeda’s profile fits into this pattern very nicely. He played 212 games for Celtic, scoring 79 goals and helped to ensure the club’s dominance in the country during this period, which featured Celtic winning five league titles and several cup competitions. He has the ability to cross the front line and is extremely pressy, so is very well suited to modern Premier League systems that are geared towards transition and off the ball efficiency.
Maeda has 30 caps for Japan to his name and has been a part of the Japanese team in the recent World Cup campaign that saw the side beat to the knockout stage by Brazil. This is a great experience at the highest level of competition and will help him prepare for the Premier League environment.
The arrival of this player also has a structural meaning for Ipswich. They are new contenders and their transfer policy is a two-folded approach; one of survival and the other, creating a scalable structure of the team. Maeda is the first Japanese player to join the club, adding to the team’s diversity and worldwide exposure.
Gary O’Neil, the manager, pointed to Maeda’s physical qualities, work ethic and regular goal-attempts as reasons for their purchase. These are essential in a league that is all about speed, pace and discipline.
