Kyogo finally told REAL reason for Rennes nightmare by boss as quick fire Celtic return tackled directly
The £10m man has yet to score for his new club and has dropped to the fringes of the Ligue 1 squad
Boss Habib Beye has explained that Kyogo Furuhashi is out of the picture at Stade Rennes due to his style of play.
The Japan striker was once again snubbed from Beye's starting lineup for the 4-1 defeat Paris Saint-Germain last weekend and this time it was 17-year-old Kader Meite given the nod over the £10million man.
Kyogo did get off the bench for the final 10 minutes but he is firmly out of favour under Beye - who was appointed to replace Jorge Sampaoli who departed just days after signing Kyogo from Celtic.
The 30-year-old has been hampered by a persistent shoulder injury from his time in the Scottish Premiership - with Ouest-France reporting that the "recurring" problem may require ‘serious treatment’ in the summer.
But speaking to the French outlet, Beye insisted that the fitness had not factored into his thinking about playing the frontman - who has made just four appearances since his Parkhead exit without scoring.
He insisted that the decision comes down to the way he wants his frontmen to play: "Kyogo has different abilities from other strikers, he needs to have a focal point, because he's very mobile.
"He's a combination player, and we're working a lot at the moment on these notions of complementarity attack, so that he feels confident and fully involved."
Celtic have yet to recruit a direct replacement for Kyogo - with in-form Daizen Maeda moving into the role of central striker.
That has sparked some speculation from fans that a return to Glasgow's east end could be on the cards in the summer for a bargain fee.
But former Hibs hero Marvin Bartley has shut down the prospect. Asked by a Celtic fan if he could see a return for the Parkhead hero amid his lack of minutes in Ligue 1, he said: “I think, the way the team are playing now, they are struggling a bit, aren’t they?
"So, the manager might be trying to stay in games. He might be able to get his own players in next season and sees Kyogo as a key part of that.
“I get what you are saying. I don’t think he will be up for sale. I also don’t think there will be any chance of Celtic bringing him back, either.
"He had a long time at Celtic, where he did really, really well. He spoke about loving the club and the fans definitely loved him. He scored some vital goals. He scored a lot of goals as well.
“But I think it’s one of those things where, both club and player have gone their separate ways now. It would be really, really surprising if we were ever to see him again in a Celtic shirt.”