Celtic pulled off a blinder when they opted to appoint Ange Postecoglou as their head coach in 2021 as he enjoyed two trophy-laden years in Scotland.
How many trophies did Postecoglou win at Celtic?
The now Spurs boss, who joined the Premier League side from the Hoops earlier this year, racked up five trophies in two seasons with the Scottish giants.
Scottish Premiership
21/22
Scottish League Cup
21/22
Scottish Premiership
22/23
Scottish League Cup
22/23
Scottish Cup
22/23
He secured a domestic treble in his final campaign with the Bhoys and owed a lot of that success to his fantastic work in the transfer market as the Australian manager hit the jackpot with a number of shrewd additions.
One player, in particular, whom Postecoglou unearthed gold with was Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi, who has been a phenomenal signing for Celtic and has continued to be an important player for the club since the 58-year-old's exit.
How much was Kyogo worth at Vissel Kobe?
The former Hoops boss signed the centre-forward as he had caught the eye with his performances for Vissel Kobe in the J1 League.
At the time of his move to Parkhead in 2021, FootballTransfers rated the 5 foot 7 ace's Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €3.1m (£2.6m) after three full seasons with the Japanese giants.
Kyogo started his career in Japan with FC Gifu and produced 17 goals and 18 assists in 71 appearances for the club after making his first-team breakthrough.
This earned him a transfer to Vissel Kobe where the talented marksman was able to thrive at the top level of football in his home country. He racked up an eye-catching 49 goals and 18 assists in 111 outings for the club, which included 42 goals and 17 assists in 95 J1 League outings.
His phenomenal form during the first half of the 2021 J1 League campaign convinced Postecoglou to sign him for Celtic. Kyogo averaged a fantastic Sofascore rating of 7.43 and contributed with 15 goals and two assists across 20 league starts for Kobe.
This came after he managed a Sofascore rating of 7.12 to go along with 12 strikes and five assists over 30 league matches throughout the 2020 season.
How much is Kyogo worth now?
At the time of writing, FootballTransfers rated Kyogo's xTV at a whopping €12.5m (£10.7m) which represents a 303% increase on the initial €3.1m that he was valued at in 2021 after his move from Kobe.
This means that the talented forward's market value has soared over the last two years thanks to his impressive form for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Postecoglou brought the Japan international to Parkhead and provided him with an opportunity to showcase his ability in Europe, which could open the door to a move to a major European league in the future.
Premier League side Crystal Palace were reportedly interested in signing the prolific forward earlier this year and had been keeping tabs on his situation, as the player is said to dream of a move to the English top-flight before the end of his career.
However, a move did not materialise ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and Kyogo decided to put pen to paper on a new four-year contract at Parkhead that now runs until the summer of 2027.
Why is Kyogo worth that much?
The 28-year-old phenom's value has skyrocketed due to his fantastic performances for Celtic over the last two seasons with the Scottish giants.
Kyogo showed a glimpse of what he was capable of during his debut campaign with the Hoops in the 2021/22 term. The Japanese finisher averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.09 across just 20 Scottish Premiership outings and contributed with 12 goals and zero assists.
Only Giorgos Giakoumakis (13) scored more league goals for the Bhoys than the summer signing from Vissel Kobe which shows that he was able to instantly become one of the most important pieces of Postecoglou's attacking arsenal.
The former J1 League star then showcased the full extent of his goalscoring capabilities during the 2022/23 campaign as he enjoyed a phenomenal year in front of goal.
Kyogo averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 across 36 Premiership games as he chipped in with an outstanding 27 goals and two assists through the middle of the pitch.
Celtic's next-highest scorer was Portuguese winger Jota, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad this summer, with 11 strikes to his name, which illustrates how important the 5 foot 7 magician was for the head coach and their title success.
His peers recognised the Japan international's stunning form by voting him as the PFA Scotland Men's Player of the Year for the 2022/23 season. This suggests that Kyogo was the division's outstanding performer throughout the year with his terrific goalscoring prowess.
The prolific star has also enjoyed a sublime start to the current campaign under Brendan Rodgers with three goals and one assist in four Premiership matches.
He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.58, which is the second-best score behind Matt O'Riley within the squad, and created two 'big chances' for his teammates so far.
In total, Kyogo has plundered a sensational 57 goals and 11 assists in 87 appearances for Celtic in all competitions since his move from Vissel Kobe in 2021, which works out as a goal contribution every 1.28 matches on average.
The valuable dynamo, who Postecoglou once hailed as "outstanding" and a "threat", has proven himself to be a reliable scorer for the Hoops, particularly at Premiership level, which his xTV having soared as a result of that.
His next task will be to prove himself in the Champions League this season after he failed to register a goal in six group-stage matches last term.
Becoming an established player in Europe's premier cup competition could increase his market value even further as it would prove that the lethal finisher has what it takes to compete against the best of the best in Europe, something that could attract interest from bigger clubs, with all due respect, than Crystal Palace.
Irrespective of what happens in the future, though, there is no doubt that Postecoglou unearthed gold in his move to sign Kyogo for Celtic in 2021 and it will go down as one of the manager's best pieces of business in charge of the Hoops.
