With insight from England
Kyogo Furuhashi joins the LA Galaxy from Birmingham City – Can he regain his Celtic form?
©IMAGO
The LA Galaxy have signed Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi for around €1m from Championship side Birmingham City. Kyogo has signed a contract through the 2030/31 Major League Soccer season and will not occupy a Designated Player spot.
Market Value
K. Furuhashi
Centre-Forward
€2.00m
"We’re excited to welcome Kyogo to the LA Galaxy and to Los Angeles,” LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said in a club statement. “He brings a wealth of experience having played matches with the Japanese National Team, in the UEFA Champions League, and in some of the best domestic leagues in Europe. We’re thrilled to add a player of his calibre, goal-scoring ability, and diverse experience to our group and look forward to the impact he will make on and off the field."
Birmingham City signed Kyogo in a deal worth €9m from Stade Rennes just one year ago.It was the third biggest signing in Birmingham City’s club history. But Kyogo struggled in the Championship, scoring just three goals in 31 games across all competitions. A move to MLS is supposed to reboot his career. At the Galaxy, Kyogo is supposed to help fill the void left behind by Gabriel Pec. The Brazilian forward was transferredfor a club record $12m (€10.5m) to Cruzeiro earlier this month.
Player Comparison
Kyogo Furuhashi
Gabriel Pec
Los Angeles Galaxy
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
€2.00m
Market Value
€7.00m
31
Age
25
Centre-Forward
Position
Right Winger
30/06/2031
Contract until
30/06/2031
Full Player Comparison
Kyogo to LA Galaxy – What went wrong at Birmingham City?
Kyogo was a star at Scottish giants Celtic, where he scored 85 goals and assisted 19 times in 165 games across all competitions. In 2022/23, Kyogo won the prestigious PFA Scotland Player of the Year. A €12m transfer to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes followed in January 2025, but he failed to score in his six appearances for the club. In his six months in France, Kyogo managed just 120 minutes of playing time.
Stats
K. Furuhashi
Centre-Forward
Celtic FC
165
85
19
When Kyogo arrived at Birmingham City following their promotion back to the Championship, it felt like a statement,” Transfermarkt UK content manager Ben Littlemore said. “A €9m fee (their 3rd record signing) for a 30-year-old. British fans still remembered his impact at Celtic. Many thought he could be a star in the Championship and maybe even lead the Blues into the play-offs. However, that certainly did not materialize. His time in the Midlands was nothing short of a disaster. Whilst the Blues themselves did make a decent go of challenging for the play-offs after promotion, not much of that was due to their Japanese forward.”
Stats
K. Furuhashi
Centre-Forward
Birmingham City
31
3
0
So what went wrong for Kyogo? “After starting his first four games with the club, he would only start another four in the Championship all season, managing just one league goal,” Littlemore said. “He didn't seem to possess the same relentless work rate that we saw from him north of the border, whilst his lack of quality was there for all to see. Kyogo also managed just one assist. His time at Birmingham was certainly forgettable, and he will be looking to put that (and probably the previous stint in France) behind him upon his move to the MLS.”
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