Transfer Talk

Well I haven’t posted anything in awhile. For this, there are two main reasons. The first being that I’ve been busy (or lazy) and have honestly been neglecting my blogging responsibilities. I know, shame on me. The second reason is that there hasn’t been much to post about. Okay, I know that’s a lame excuse. There is always something to write about. Player profiles, club match results, world cup predictions; these are all things that I could have been writing about and I will admit that the first reason has much more substantial weight than the second. That being said, I do have another nine months to examine the depths of every orifice (too much?) of the players that will make up the Nihon Daihyo, and besides a few assists by Honda, Inamoto, and Morimoto; and a lone goal by Morimoto, not a whole lot has been happening on the international club scene for the Japanese players.

Which brings us to Transfer News.

This blog might as well be entitled the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Stalking Keisuke Honda and Takayuki Morimoto for Dummies.” No matter what I’m writing about, these two names seem to find their way on the page. And surprise, they’re back.

Honda, in a seemingly prima donna fashion, has announced his desire to leave his current club, VVV-Venlo, and transfer to the more “worthy” PSV Eindhoven. When the January transfer season opens up, he will most likely be granted his wish as PSV has reciprocally declared their interest in him. VVV-Venlo were originally reluctant to release Honda and asked for an exorbitant transfer fee of €10 million. The interested parties were quick to denounce the unrealistic ticket price and Honda remained on Venlo. However, recent rumors suggest a change of heart by club management on the insistence of Honda, and a transfer certainly looks likely.

Honda’s decision to single out PSV above all other suitors, including a few powerhouses of the Premier League came as a bit of a surprise for me. For starters, his announcement that he wished to leave came before any final transfer decision was set, and being that he is the captain and star of Venlo, I can't imagine that this had nothing less a bombshell impact on team morale. I mean, what kind of team captain openly talks about his wish to leave his current team, and then expects to lead them for half the season? A prima donna. Also, Honda's decision to remain in the Eredivisie over more lucrative leagues seems in contrast to his ambitious personality. I suppose this could pan out well, as PSV is always in contention for UEFA Cup if not Champions' League status. He will easily earn a spot on the first team and will probably develop steadily until he transfers to a larger club after a few years experience. Still, a part of me wonders if taking a chance to play for Liverpool or Chelsea, and working hard for the reserves in order to grab a bench spot for the first team would be a more beneficial and humbling experience for a player with a lot of promise but still much to learn.

Forward Takayuki Morimoto has been linked to many large clubs in the past, but this season will be his last for Calcio Catania. The club general manager, Pietro Lo Monaco, has already made it clear that he plans on cashing in on Morimoto next summer. Morimoto has grown up a lot since his move from the J. League three years ago, and has won over fans and critics of the Serie A by proving his mettle against some of the world's best defensive teams and players. Think of this season as a “tryout” for the big clubs who will be calling his name next year. Of these clubs that are actively scouting him, the biggest behemoth of all, Manchester United, have already voiced their opinion of Mori. Sir Alex Ferguson, Coach of ManU, has his sights set to bring him to England. While, I am obviously excited for the promise of Morimoto, I can't help but feel weary about a move to the world's top club. Facing such severe competition at a young age, he will struggle to win a handful of caps for United. Such adversity could prove disheartening and impeded his development. Mori is good enough to start for most teams in the world and a move to a high-profile club in a high profile league is certainly deserving of his talent. But the world's best? This may be a leap too large for the youngster. I believe that one shouldn't try to jump the river. You end up soaked and sinking. A stepping stone or two is the wise decision and at such a young age, there isn't any hurry. He'll get to the top eventually.

Finally, we have some fresh news as well. Yuto Nagatomo (above), a 23 year old side back for FC Tokyo, has been linked to Celtic. He has featured for the national team in recent World Cup warm ups and has looked impressive for the most part. While I am always supportive of a players moving out of Japan to join the international football community, I am reluctant to fully endorse this transfer just because of the club. Celtic, after losing Shunsuke Nakamura to Espanyol, have been furiously searching for an Asian commercial replacement, and have already signed Zheng Zhi from China and Ki Sung-Yong from South Korea. Zhi and Sung-Yong will join Japanese winger Koki Mizuno to make up the Asian contingent at the Parkhead club. Mizuno, who joined Celtic at the beginning of last year, was once thought to be Naka's replacement both commercially and performance-wise. However, whether Mizuno was really a part of the club's long term plan or just a shirt selling ploy in Asian markets has been a topic of debate among Celtic fans. Appearing only a few times last season, his chances for making a mark on the first team seems doubtful, and a change in coach from Gordon Strachan to Tony Mowbray in the offseason has further limited Koki's potential to make an impact. While I think that Nagatomo has the talent to succeed in Europe, Celtic may be trying to buy another marketing tool and fear that he may face the same fate as his compatriot, Mizuno.