Hayato Inamura, born on 6 May 2002 (age 24), is a Japanese central defender whose senior career has so far been shaped mainly by Albirex Niigata rather than Celtic.
Albirex gave him the platform. Across two seasons he made 28 league appearances and scored once, with his busiest league campaign coming in 2025, when he played 16 times and got his goal. That is the spell that still gives the clearest read on him: a developing defender with enough first-team football behind him to be more than a paper signing.
Celtic signed Inamura from Albirex Niigata in July 2025 for around £250,000. He was assigned squad number 17, though his immediate path has taken him out on loan to FC Tokyo rather than into the Celtic side.
At FC Tokyo, he remained involved in 2025, making 16 J1 League appearances, scoring once, and adding nine more outings in the J1 100 Year Vision League. Across all competitions for the club, he made 25 appearances and scored one goal. His market value is around £255,000, according to Transfermarkt.
Inamura’s career remains at an early stage. Albirex Niigata is still the substantial part of the story, Celtic own his registration, and his loan at FC Tokyo has kept him in regular senior football.
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