Maeda Sorare NFTs Rise on £25M Premier League Transfer Talk

Celtic's Japanese forward Daizen Maeda is drawing interest from four Premier League clubs, according to reports. Celtic values him at £25 million. His contract runs until June 2027. Nottingham Forest was named as a potential suitor in May 2026. No club has made a formal offer.

A transfer to Wolfsburg collapsed last summer. Southampton has been linked in the past. Maeda said after Japan's World Cup exit on June 30 that he needs to elevate his game, the report noted.

The speculation is also moving a separate market: Maeda's digital collectibles on Sorare, an Ethereum-based fantasy football platform where players are tokenized as NFTs. Trading volume and price floors for his cards have risen alongside the transfer headlines, according to the report.

Premier League players on Sorare command higher prices than those in smaller leagues. If Maeda moves to England, his card values could sustain that premium. If no deal happens, the recent gains may fade – the Wolfsburg collapse last summer shows that not every link leads to a transfer.

Celtic has started scouting replacements, the report said. The club has not commented publicly on the reports.