Tottenham agreeing ‘record fee’ for defender has made things interesting for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic

The transfer window is beginning to pick up serious momentum, with both Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur firmly in the mix as the summer market unfolds. With the football world turning its attention to potential moves and club strategies, both sides are showing signs of ambition in different but potentially overlapping directions.

In a major development, Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with Ange Postecoglou, the Australian coach who led the club to Europa League success. In his place, the London outfit have moved swiftly to appoint Thomas Frank, formerly of Brentford, as their new head coach. This marks the beginning of a new era at Spurs, as Frank looks to reshape the squad in his image ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

Interestingly, despite Postecoglou’s exit, Tottenham’s transfer activity is still echoing his influence—particularly his well-known affinity for the Japanese football market. During his successful stint at Celtic, Postecoglou brought in a number of players from the J-League, unearthing gems from lesser-known teams and turning them into key contributors. Many of those signings have continued to thrive under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic Park, proving that the Japanese talent pipeline has real value in Europe.

Now, Tottenham appear to be following that very same blueprint. According to renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Spurs have agreed a deal with Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale for their highly-rated centre-back Kota Takai. The transfer fee is reportedly in the region of £5 million—an amount that, while modest by Premier League standards, represents a monumental sum for Japanese clubs.

Romano confirmed:
“Tottenham agree £5m deal with Kawasaki Frontale to sign 2004-born Japan international centre-back Kota Takai. Record fee ever received for a Japanese player from the J League, as @sponichisoccer reports.”

Japanese outlet Sponichi Annex Soccer further elaborated on the deal, reporting that the agreement is already in place and that the fee—around ¥1 billion—is the highest ever received for a player leaving the J-League for Europe. The report stated:
“Kawasaki F’s Kota Takai to transfer to England’s Tottenham for a record-breaking ¥1 billion, the highest amount for a Japanese player – Club agreement already reached in principle.”

This bold move by Tottenham may have wider implications beyond North London. With Celtic maintaining close ties to the Japanese market, this record-breaking transfer could potentially influence their own plans for the summer. Celtic have long been linked with additional J-League talent, and with clubs now seeing the potential for large fees, competition for emerging Japanese players may intensify.

For Celtic supporters, there will be a keen interest in how this Spurs move unfolds. Not only because of Postecoglou’s connection to both clubs, but also due to the possibility of inflated market values affecting Celtic’s recruitment strategy.

Ultimately, while £5 million may be considered routine spending for a club like Tottenham, it signals a significant moment for Japanese football and could spark increased activity between J-League teams and European sides this summer. As Thomas Frank looks to build his Spurs squad with promising youth and international flair, and with Celtic still hunting smart acquisitions, the J-League could be a key battleground once again.