Who is Ryotaro Ito? The Celtic transfer target with shades of Jota who could prove Ange's next J-League gem

Ange Postecoglou has another J-League gem in his crosshairs as Celtic look to Ryotaro Ito as their latest signing from the Asian market.

Record Sport exclusively revealed the 25-year-old is on the agenda as the Treble-chasing Hoops look to strengthen their squad for a tilt at the Champions League next season. They've had well-documented success raiding Japan under Postecoglou, with Kyogo, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda in particular all smash-hits while misfit Yosuke Ideguchi has been the only definite failure among their six additions from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Ito has caught the eye in an impressive breakthrough year in the top flight having torn the J2 League apart with Albirex Nigata last season and the goals and assists have been flowing since their promotion. But who is Ito, and do Celtic fans have reason to be excited?

Let's take a look.

Something of a late boomer, Ito is in the midst of his first season of consistent top flight football aged 25. But he is making up for lost time.

Having notched 20 goal involvements in 42 games in the second tier last season, he's been one of the players of the year in the J-League with six goals in 14 appearances from his attacking midfield role. Virtually everything his side do go through him - he's been involved in 62 per cent of their goals this season and has failed to start just once.

His age and inexperience relative to that may sound an alarm bell but similar questions were asked of Reo Hatate who is the same age and had played fewer senior games by the time he joined Celtic - albeit a higher percentage of those were in the top flight. Postecoglou though has fostered an environment he would settle into nicely and will be more concerned with Ito's ability and