Celtic manager Martin O'Neill recently revealed that Daizen Maeda has told him that he would like to complete a move to the Premier League this summer.

The Japan international was denied a move to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg last summer when Brendan Rodgers was in charge, but the attacker could finally get his wish to try his luck in a major European league this time around.

O'Neill said that he would not stand in the striker's way and it is now down to a team to come in and offer enough money to prise him away from Parkhead.

Losing Maeda would, of course, be a blow for the Hoops because he scored in every game after the split to win the Scottish Premiership title, ending the campaign on 14 league goals.

Whilst Celtic are set to be on the lookout for a new centre-forward to potentially replace Maeda, their city rivals are closing in on the signing of Lawrence Shankland.

Celtic learn asking price for Premiership centre-forward

The Scotland international scored 16 goals for Hearts in the 2025/26 Premiership campaign, including one against the Hoops on the final day, and could be an excellent addition for Rangers.

However, the Premiership champions have the opportunity to sign another one of the league's top goalscorers as their answer to Shankland this summer.

It was reported earlier this month that Celtic are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Motherwell centre-forward Tawanda Maswanhise to bolster their attack.

Now, according to The Scottish Sun, Motherwell will accept offers of around £4m for the 23-year-old marksman amid interest from several teams.

Anderlecht are said to have made an offer of an initial £3m in January, which was rejected by the Scottish side, and they are prepared to renew their pursuit of the Zimbabwe international.

It is now down to Celtic to swoop in ahead of the Belgian giants to have an offer of £4m accepted, as he could be a terrific addition to the squad for next season.

Why Tawanda Maswanhise would be Celtic's answer to Lawrence Shankland

If Rangers think that signing Shankland will fire them to the Premiership title, Celtic must show them that they are wrong by swooping for an even better attacker from Scotland.

Maswanhise, despite playing for a team that finished lower in the table than Hearts, outperformed Shankland and would be an even better signing for the Hoops than the Scotland international will be at Ibrox.

The Motherwell attacker scored one more goal than Shankland in the league, but it was his overall game that was more impressive due to his mobility and pace at the top end of the pitch.

Maswanhise is able to constantly make runs in behind to stretch defences with his speed, which is not something Shankland is blessed with, and his sharp movements are why he also wins more fouls and loses the ball less frequently than the Scottish star.

He is more like Maeda than Shankland is in that sense because of his ability to put pressure on defenders with his pace while closing down players out of possession and making runs with and without the ball in possession.

The 23-year-old star, who has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, has racked up 28 goals in 78 matches for Motherwell in the past two seasons, showing his quality in front of goal as both a winger and as a striker.

Maswanhise is also seven years younger than Shankland and could be a thorn in Rangers' side for many years to come, whilst the Hearts captain may not have as many years of peak performance left in him to help the Gers compete for the title.

That is why the £4m-rated star would be a brilliant signing for Celtic and the perfect answer to their rivals' deal for Shankland, as he would be an even better addition and help them to win the league title yet again.

Maeda's potential departure would be a blow for the Hoops, given his form at the end of this season, but Maswanhise ended the campaign with three more league goals than the Japan international and has the physical attributes to take his role in the team.

It is now down to the board to sanction a £4m deal for the striker and for them to move quickly enough to prevent Anderlecht from getting a deal done first.