Celtic took a relatively routine victory over Dundee United on Wednesday night, but affairs off the pitch were anything but routine for their striker Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Japanese forward came on as a substitute just after the hour mark of Wednesday's game, helping the Hoops see out a 2-0 win that puts them 16 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
However, Kyogo's name was in the headlines for a different reason, with a strange report appearing on the MLS' website suggesting that he had signed for Atlanta United.
READ HERE: Fans Accuse Liverpool Of 'Shameful' Caoimhin Kelleher Treatment Ahead Of Cup Semi
READ HERE: Newly-Released Ref Mic Footage Makes Mockery Of VAR Process
Atlanta United delete announcement of Kyogo signing from Celtic
Around 7:30pm Scottish time on Wednesday evening, a post appeared on Major League Soccer's (MLS) website announcing that Atlanta United had "acquired" Kyogo Furuhashi from Celtic as a Designated Player.
It appears that the MLS website has posted that Atlanta United have acquired striker Kyogo Furuhashi from Celtic FC as a Designated Player signing.
However, the link to the article does not work.
⏳#ATLUTD | #WeAreTheA | #MLS pic.twitter.com/sRh7qhYAa4— Caleb Pongratz (@CalebPongratz10) January 8, 2025
The article suggested that Kyogo had signed up for the 2025 season with an option for 2026.
However, the article was quickly removed, and attempts to access it were met with a message reading "MEGGED!" and an explanation that the link was now broken.
Suspicions were raised further when Atlanta shared a post to social media with the Japanese flag and an egg timer, reading "Vol. 1." Fans were briefly sent into a frenzy attempting to make sense of the bizarre insinuation that Kyogo could be on his way to the States.
What made the timing of the reports so bizarre was that Kyogo was at that time sitting on the bench preparing for kick-off at Celtic Park - a situation that would obviously have been impossible had he been snapped up by Atlanta United.
Soon after, the American club announced the signing of Japanese star Cayman Togashi, whose contract details are identical to those reported for Kyogo earlier in the evening by the MLS website.
It was an utterly bizarre sequence of events but, as things stand, Kyogo is still a Celtic player. However, there may be more to this story than meets the eye.
Recent reports had linked Kyogo with a move to Atlanta United. The Scottish Sun reported in December that the MLS side - managed by ex-Celtic boss Ronny Deila - were prepared to pay up to £10 million to acquire the Japanese forward.
The strange post on the MLS website will have done nothing to quell the fears of Celtic fans that Kyogo (who has 54 goals in 86 apperances for the Bhoys) will be exiting Parkhead before too long.
SEE ALSO: Roy Keane's Thoughts On 'I'm A Celeb' Are Exactly What You Would Expect
