Ex-Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi heads to MLS with the LA Galaxy as Japanese forward severs ties with Tom Brady’s Birmingham after £10m transfer flop

LA Galaxy have announced that the club have agreed to a transfer for Kyogo Furuhashi from Birmingham City. The forward joins the MLS outfit on a contract running through the 2030-31 season.

Kyogo departs Birmingham after a difficult period in the Championship, where he managed just three goals in 31 appearances across all competitions. LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz welcomed the signing in an official statement: "We’re excited to welcome Kyogo to the LA Galaxy and to Los Angeles. He brings a wealth of experience having played matches with Japanese National Team, in the UEFA Champions League, and in some of the best domestic leagues in Europe."

Before his recent struggles, Kyogo enjoyed immense success at Celtic, scoring 85 goals in 165 appearances. His time in Scotland yielded incredible silverware, including four Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups, and three Scottish League Cups.

During the 2022-23 campaign, he secured the Player of the Year award and finished as the top goal scorer with 27 league goals. As reported by GOAL, following a brief spell in France with Stade Rennais, Birmingham secured his services in a £10m transfer in July 2025. Prior to his European adventure, Kyogo also claimed the Japanese Cup and Japanese Super Cup with Vissel Kobe, highlighting his pedigree before the recent £10m flop.

The £10m move to Birmingham failed to materialise as expected, impacting Kyogo heavily. After failing to start a game since mid-January and undergoing shoulder surgery, he lost his place in the Japan squad for the World Cup.

Former Birmingham forward Clinton Morrison explained the situation exclusively to GOAL: "I can't believe why it's not working because at Celtic his movement and the chances and the goals he was scoring were fantastic. He was getting the chances at Birmingham City but just wasn't putting them in, and that can happen. That's just a player short on confidence and it hasn't really worked out. His work rate's fantastic but you've got to have a bit more than work rate when you're a number nine. You need to score goals and he was getting opportunities and he was just rushing at them."

Kyogo will now await the receipt of his P-1 Visa before officially taking the field for LA Galaxy. The attacker will occupy an International Slot on the roster as the club look to integrate his undeniable goalscoring instincts into their attacking setup. After a frustrating domestic campaign across Europe, Kyogo must immediately focus on rebuilding his confidence and adding more silverware to his collection in America.