The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Reo Hatate is that night in February 2022, when Celtic‘s new signing helped put their Glasgow rivals to the sword at Parkhead.
Up against the then champions, the hosts were breathtaking in that first half, Hatate netting twice as Ange Postecoglou‘s men raced into a 3-0 lead.
It was Postecoglou’s football at its best, and the Japanese midfielder was right at the heart of it, with the Hoops having seemingly struck a bargain with their £1.1m investment.
Four years on, those days feel like a long time ago now for the diminutive playmaker, with a belated exit surely on the cards before the deadline.
Analysing Reo Hatate’s sad Celtic decline
There’s no doubt been few better transfer windows in modern memory at Paradise than that of the winter of 2022, a month that saw the likes of Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley and Hatate arrive through the door for mere pocket change.
Hatate, unquestionably, was the biggest instant hit at the time, netting his first goal against Hearts in late January, prior to his stunning brace against Rangers.
He ended that six-month stint with six goals and assists to his name in the Premiership, before adding a further 14 in his first full season in 2022/23, having also created ten ‘big chances’ and averaged 1.3 key passes per game.
While hampered by injury, there was a noticeable drop following Brendan Rodgers’ return, as he scored and assisted just seven times in 2023/24, with Rodgers later admitting that Hatate’s knack for squandering possession had “really frustrated” him at the time.
There was an uplift the following year, with 14 goals and assists racked up again, although even then, he no longer appeared to be the all-action, relentless figure who had sparkled a few years earlier.
|
Hatate – Premiership Record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals (Assists) |
|
26/27 |
0 |
N/A |
|
25/26 |
30 |
2 (2) |
|
24/25 |
37 |
10 (4) |
|
23/24 |
16 |
3 (4) |
|
22/23 |
32 |
6 (8) |
|
21/22 |
17 |
4 (2) |
Indeed, in 2022/23, for instance, Hatate was winning 3.6 duels per game on average, with that record falling to just 2.6 in 2024/25.
As for last season, well, the less said the better, as he swiftly faded from view under Martin O’Neill’s watch, having also started the new campaign as an unused substitute against Dundee.
An exit for the long-serving playmaker feels like the best bet, although Celtic need to ensure he’s replaced first and foremost.
How Celtic can replace Reo Hatate this summer
Midfield remains a real problem area for O’Neill, with Paulo Bernardo shipped off on a surprise loan move to Poland, while Arne Engels remains a leading target for West Ham United.
With Hatate’s own future uncertain too, the Hoops desperately need fresh legs and reinforcements, unable to solely rely on the experienced, yet ageing pairing of Callum McGregor and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Well, hopefully the champions won’t have to, with The Scottish Sun’s David Friel reporting that the Glasgow side are still working on a deal for Paderborn’s Mika Baur.
The newly-promoted Bundesliga side are playing ‘hardball’, however, even with Baur having just a year left to run on his existing deal, hence the delay in wrapping up a deal.
Prior reports have indicated that the German outfit could be looking for a fee north of £5m, a potentially reasonable figure for a player who could be the second coming of Hatate in green and white.
Still just 22, Baur could be the injection of youth that O’Neill’s midfield unit is crying out for, having enjoyed such a fruitful season last time out.
Like Hatate, he’s a slight, yet energetic midfield operator, someone who can flit between a number six or number eight role, while even being deployed on the flanks when required.
That shift into an advanced, attacking berth showcases that completeness to Baur’s game that was also evident in Hatate’s Postecoglou prime, with there so many strings to the German’s bow.
Indeed, in 2025/26, the youngster scored and assisted nine goals in Germany’s second tier, while averaging an impressive 1.5 key passes per game, alongside a solid 84% pass accuracy rate.
In Hatate’s first full season, as already noted, he scored and assisted 14 times, while averaging 1.3 key passes and an 82% pass accuracy rate, a rather similar record to Baur’s.
That 2022/23 campaign also saw the former Kawasaki Frontale man average 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game, as an indication of his off-the-ball work, with Baur actually ahead in that regard, averaging 2.4 per game.
Schooled at Freiburg, he’d only played in Germany’s third tier before last season, although that lack of senior experience wasn’t an issue for Hatate, who’d started only 44 J League games before moving to Glasgow.
Celtic, after so many errant transfers over the past 12 months or so, need genuine quality and athleticism, something Baur would provide in abundance.
He could well be the player Hoops fans have been waiting for since Hatate’s early, heady days under Postecoglou.
