Former Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi has completed his move to Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, ending his brief and disappointing stint with Tom Brady’s Birmingham City. The Japanese international struggled to replicate his earlier success in the Championship following a £10 million ($13m) transfer, a period that ultimately saw him miss out on the 2026 World Cup. Now, he aims to reignite his career and rediscover his scoring form in the United States.

LA Galaxy have officially confirmed the signing of Kyogo Furuhashi from Birmingham City. The forward has agreed to a contract that will keep him with the MLS club through the 2030-31 season.

Furuhashi departs Birmingham after a tough spell in England’s second tier, where he managed to score only three goals in 31 appearances across all competitions. Welcoming the new signing, LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said, “We’re excited to welcome Kyogo to the LA Galaxy and to Los Angeles. He brings a wealth of experience having represented the Japanese national team, featured in the UEFA Champions League, and competed in some of Europe’s top domestic leagues.”

Before his recent challenges, Kyogo enjoyed a remarkable period at Celtic, where he netted 85 goals in 165 matches. His tenure in Scotland was loaded with honours, including four Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups, and three Scottish League Cups.

During the 2022-23 season, he was named Player of the Year and finished as the league’s top scorer with 27 goals. According to reports from GOAL, after a short spell in France with Stade Rennais, Birmingham City secured his services in a £10 million deal in July 2025. Earlier in his career, Furuhashi also won the Japanese Cup and the Japanese Super Cup with Vissel Kobe, underlining his pedigree before the recent transfer disappointment.

The move to Birmingham did not unfold as planned, leaving Kyogo struggling for form and confidence. Having failed to start a match since mid-January and after undergoing shoulder surgery, he was subsequently omitted from Japan’s World Cup squad.

Former Birmingham forward Clinton Morrison shared his perspective with GOAL, stating, “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.”

Furuhashi is now awaiting his P-1 Visa before making his debut for LA Galaxy. He will occupy an International Slot on the roster as the club look to integrate his proven finishing ability into their attacking structure. After a difficult European campaign, Kyogo will be eager to rebuild his confidence and once again become a key contributor, as he shifts focus to achieving success in American football.