Chris Davies has confirmed that clarity on Kyogo Furuhashi’s Birmingham City future will arrive within the next 48 hours following a notable omission from a recent friendly.
The Japanese striker was left out of Birmingham’s midweek friendly victory over National League side Solihull Moors as talks continue behind the scenes.
Davies revealed that teammate Kai Wagner was also absent for the same reasons, suggesting significant squad movement could be imminent at St Andrews.
Birmingham paid £10 million to sign the 31-year-old from French Ligue 1 side Rennes in July 2025, following his difficult six-month stint there after leaving Celtic.
Kyogo managed just three goals in 31 matches last season as Birmingham finished 10th in the Championship, nine points outside the play-off spots.
Speaking after the Solihull win, Davies said: “Kai and Kyogo, things will be clearer with those two in the next couple of days.”
He added: “There’s been a few things happening in the background and that will become clearer in the next 48 hours but tonight wasn’t a night to include them.”
The news comes just days after Davies had publicly backed Kyogo following a promising performance against Huddersfield, where the forward scored twice in a 3-1 friendly victory last Friday.
Former Birmingham striker and one-time European Golden Shoe winner Kevin Phillips has weighed in on the situation, suggesting a Celtic return could be on the cards.
Phillips told Record Sport: “I’ve always liked Kyogo, there’s something there, but we just haven’t really seen it on a regular basis.”
He was direct in his assessment, saying: “There’s no good saying we keep waiting and waiting; he needs to perform. So if he stays, he needs to hit the ground running.”
Phillips acknowledged that fan patience is running thin, noting there would be little resistance from supporters if the club chose to move him on.
“I don’t think there’ll be too many Blues fans kicking the door down to say stay if Birmingham were to cash in, whether he went back to Celtic or went somewhere else,” Phillips said.
The former striker suggested giving Kyogo one final opportunity to prove his worth at the start of the season before making any permanent decision.
Phillips concluded: “If it doesn’t quite work out, then maybe look to potentially get him out on loan or move him on before the window shuts.”
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