Hayato Inamura, born on 6 May 2002 (age 23), is a Japanese central defender whose senior career has so far been shaped mainly by Albirex Niigata. He made 28 league appearances across two seasons there, scoring once, with his most productive league campaign coming in 2025: 16 appearances and one goal.
Celtic moved for him in July 2025, signing him from Albirex Niigata for around £250,000. It was a modest fee and a fairly typical modern Celtic punt: young, relatively cheap, and coming from a market the club has watched closely in recent years.
Inamura is currently a Celtic player on loan at FC Tokyo, wearing squad number 17. He has remained in first-team use in 2025, with 23 appearances and one goal across all competitions for FC Tokyo, including J1 League and J1 100 Year Vision League football.
His current market value is around £255,000, according to Transfermarkt. At this stage, his career is still rooted in the Albirex spell, with Celtic owning his registration and FC Tokyo giving him the senior minutes that matter.
