Japanese striker Takuma Asano has confirmed that Arsenal have approached him about a move to the Emirates.
The 21-year-old, who plies his trade for reigning J-League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a full international with one goal in five appearances to his name. He’s also set to be part of his country’s Olympic football team at the Rio 2016 Games.
Speaking about the approach, Asano is quoted as saying: “I was a little stunned. But I feel like I have the confidence to succeed wherever I go.
“And if I go, I do have an idea of what it would be like…If I am loaned elsewhere, my take on it is that I give it 100 percent”
Asano is understood to have other offers on the table from Switzerland and Germany but obviously seems keen on trying his luck under the tutelage of Japanese-speaking Arsene Wenger.
It looks like work permit issues could see him loaned elsewhere in Europe, as was the case with Ryo Miyaichi, who left the Gunners in 2015 after four injury-hit years at the Emirates.
A fee in the region of £3 million has been mooted; a figure that hardly represents a risk in the modern era, especially with the marketing opportunities that Asano could possibly open up in the Far East.
Granted, that makes us sound cynical, however, when you look at how Ryo, and predecessor Junichi Inamoto, were used by us it’s not hard to reach such a conclusion.
Quotes courtesy of journalist Shintaro Kano.
?
How did you make the little shit?
fave comment ever- imagine it being said in a french accent
He just wrote Spurs. And that just appeared.
Wouldn’t that be an amazing feature here, blogs? You write spurs in the comment box and it turns into shit automatically. 🙂
It would soon become the international symbol for Spurs.
Blogs, get your tech gurus on it and make this happen. Nothing else to do in the summer, said gurus will be in full on avoid the sun mode.
Merde!!
🙂
???
????????
Does he mean Arsenal Japan?
i mean really?
Well, what you know, when ýou ĺeast expect it,
but YouTube video is pretty convincing, he looks good but too raw.
I always thought Wenger will come up with something like this.
Just like Ryo.
Ryo was too glass legs to realise his potential.
Agreed.
Don’t think blog is being fair on Ryo. Inamoto may have been cynical, but Ryo had all the raw ability to really be a Japanese Ronaldo.
Incredibly fast with really great close control and trickery. Injuries ruined him.
He looks like Nasri physically, in the picture. Hope he has Nasri’s technique but a very different personality.
Looks a handful. Quick.
I just watched three different YouTube videos, and though we all know that YouTube goal compilations are typically skewed in the favour of the player, he seems pretty clinical around goal. Decent movement with a sprinkle of luck. I’d take him at 21 years old and throw a touch of elbow grease into him at a few mill. Why not
I understood Ryo at the time, he was more than just speed. Many Japanese regard him as extremely unlucky to get injured when he did given that a loan spell at Wigan seemed like a perfect move. Say what you like about Martinez, but its not for destroying young talents that he is criticized. I understood Park given his profile in South Korea was a bit like Lee Dong-Gook’s when he signed for Middlesbrough. I thought that it was a calculated risk to give them a go at not too much money to see if they would sink or swim.… Read more »
I think Wenger has alwqys wanted a Japanese player to really get into the side-he has huge respect for their work ethic.
Which is follow the rules st all costs and never think for yourself or be spontaneous. And always look to others for what to do.
Even at this time of mass general ignorance, your comment still stands out. Well done.
I live in Japan and this is a fact. Japanese people say this all the the time. It’s well known in the Japanese education system that it’s passive education. Nobody ever holds their hand up with an answer. Even in English learning there is no speaking practice just reading and writing. It’s well known in Japanese culture out here nobody leaves the office until ridiculously late until the boss has gone home because everyone out here has been educated to follow and not express opinions. Hell, out here I have seen thousands of examples of Japanese people feeling uncomfortable when… Read more »
Being half-Japanese I respectfully disagree with your opinion. In most cases, the reason most Japanese people won’t raise their hand all the time or consistently express their opinion is because they’re thoughtful. Just because they are quiet it doesn’t mean they don’t have an opinion. They are usually thinking something along the lines of ‘my question is probably a good question but there’s this much time remaining in class/this meeting, which is time probably best spent if the teacher can continue the topic, or if this discussion continues in it’s current direction, so I won’t raise my hand.’ Also, Japan… Read more »
*typo ->
‘Not having an opinion and being super passive is definitely not a trait that goes back deep in Japan’s history or culture.’
21 years old.
For the love of God, Arsenal fans on internet. Don’t shit on him yet.
Yeah. It looks unlikely but stranger things have happened.
I can’t wait for him to play with us.
I’m sure he will be atomic 🙂
If that’s some reference to Hiroshima that’s really sick.
I laughed.
*guilty face*
Yep, pretty unpleasant.
Apologies.
That was stupid comment.
Sometimes i say stupid shit which i regret later.
Nonsensical and really insensitive. I’m sure that guy won’t but there is a term ‘hibakusha’ which anyone can look up and see the lasting and still continuing effects of those bombings.
Too soon?
If Amusa tries too hard to be Amuser, it doesn’t get too funny.
Arsene doesn’t speak Japanese fluently.
Why are people down voting this? It’s completely true.
People have had enough of experts and truth.
It’s why when the FA chief recently said he wasn’t an expert in football, 52% of the country let out a sigh of relief.
*doffs cap*
65% of statistics are made up
This comment! 😀
Because the article never said he did.
This statement is correct. ‘Japanese speaking’ is not technically the same thing as ‘fluent in Japanese’.
I understand that he speaks it well enough to communicate what the player needs to know. This is after all how he learned it in his time there!
I don’t think he has ever claimed to. But yeah, his Japanese isn’t great. Better than that guy on the Ramble’s, though.
Can we all join in a sigh of relief – we have finally found our striker.
Would be nice, always rated him
Not that bothered. As long as Arsene brings in experienced players in the positions we need too, he can sign all the cheap youngsters he wants. I will refrain from judging until the end of the window, I think that is the mature thing to do.
Exactly. Yaya Sanogo wasn’t a bad signing; the mistake was not signing a senior forward in 2013 (or 2015). Nothing wrong with cheap punts on youngsters.
I just worry about these types of signings, and then them playing in pre-season matches and performing somewhat well. It’s kind of what happened last season and maybe the reason why we didn’t get a main goal machine striker or at least seasoned supporting striker for Giroud.
Presumably Wenger thought Welbeck would stay fit. Wenger needs a lesson in Murphy’s Law.
If he does join, I wish him every success. Fingers crossed he’ll be a hit and also boost our presence in Asia too.
*patiently waits for more news on 1st team signings…
So that’s why Vardy turned us down…
Another Park Chu Young in the making… is it?
God Help!
yeah because it turned out every freakin boy from far east is the same…isn’t it?! wtf is wrong with people?! not even racist but just retarded. Titi help!
Retarded are people who cannot understand a little pun.
Calm your little Titties now.
Where’s the pun?
Japanese are to South Koreans what English are to Italians how can you even compare???
Oh come now, that’s a bit harsh. Japan doesn’t go out of the Asian Cup to Singapore.
To be fair Singapore did hold Japan to a draw in Japan for a qualifier, so…
That’s nice. Anyway, are we going to call Ramsey Aaron Targaryan Master of Dragons or not
I was hoping he turned super saiyan.
Was waiting for him to spirit bomb Diego Cuntsta.
Aaron Ramsey first of his name, the (s)Unburnt, King of Cardiff, King of Wales and the the first men. Khalasaar of Arsenal, Breaker of Defences and the Father of (Welsh) Dragons.
Right less procrastinating and back to studying.
Just one for the future hopefully.
Ryo and Park are examples of how our Japanese signings fare out… but it’s a cheap investment if the boss thinks there’s really something there. See how he does on loan somewhere in the EU.
Yep, Park is Korean. I sound like a moron eh?
i thought Inamoto was alright, injuries didn’t help his cause tho
Shirt sales must be down.
Groan….not again.
Wenger has this summer to get it right. Otherwise….piss off.
So long as AW fills the spots that seriously needed then the more the marry.
While Chelsea spends money on a really good player, we are linked to a japanese guy, give me a break, Wenger must be senile. Have we forgotten about Park or Sanogo??
Unbeleivable how many ppl here say it’s ok, dumbest fan base ever
How precious. You seem to think this is it for our transfer business. Meanwhile, it’s not even July in the real world.
Name another fanbase that has a blog as good as this one. Besides, that accusation was hella ironic after complaining about this signing, as though Arsene didn’t just try to sign Vardy. Or that we only get one striker signing per window or something
@ matt – speak for yourself
He’s obviously not a first team player- stop being a mug. Even Wenger knows that if he signs this guy and he’s our ‘striker solution’ he’s gonna get alot of stick.
In Wenger we trust!
For £3m lets just see what he’s got. As people have said already, marketing benefits would probably outweigh that cost. And despite the microscopic chances of it actually happening, a prolific Japanese striker at Arsenal would be fucking cool.
Let’s just blow all our money on Draxler and look in the Real Madrid rummage bins for their annual summer clearance.
Varane and Rodriguez would be cool and a striker – we have to get 2 of the 3 and il be happy (wenger said 3 new signings max)
Domo arigato Mr Robato
His goals to game ratio is eerily similar to Henry’s before he came to Arsenal.
No pressure there, eh?
I would file this under “one for the future”. He can’t even play for us this season as he’d need to get a work permit, which is why he is talking about being loaned out.
Wouldn’t be bothered by this as long as we address the major issues in the squad. Good that we are still thinking ahead of time too!
I am fine with this.
Celebrating even.
Sushi on Friday.
Well, sashimi.
Does this count as 1 of our 3 summer signings
A investment that would literally pay for itself, I have no problem with that. Who knows it may not be solely a marketing move, Perhaps the kid got some Ninja moves. Smokebomb then dash past defenders for example. You cant C me! 😉
Keisuke Honda wasn’t terribly bad.
You won’t be complaining bout him.
For 3m, I remember a bunch of morons complaining about Dick Law of the jungle and Campbell for even less turned out to be very high potential now.
Why such a big fuss?
😀
Because there’s not enough to fuss about.
Idle hands, and all that.
Excellent. We have our first subject for Professor Flam to test his levulinic acid gamma ray on. If he turns monster he’s Japan’s problem.
Fuck it. Let’s sign him. Let’s sign everyone. The more the merrier.
Very little to discuss really, an institution of Arsenal’s size and clout should be able to buy both superstars and obscure 18 year olds playing in the 5th division of Kyrgyzstan
Worst case scenario, the guy doesn’t pan out and we sell him/loan him out of sight (and out of mind) like we always do. A drop in the bucket.
I was recently in Tokyo and the only BPL shirt I saw a Japanese person wearing was an arsenal shirt, this transfer is working already!
the stereotypes…
bring on Van Skunk back 🙂
I saw the news and couldn’t stop smiling, Arsene you sly dog! I am really going to miss his cheap punts in the future. This is clearly not a first team signing. Here’s hoping Lacazette or Mortata happens.
or both
Could this be Wenger’s love child in his stint in Japan? He’s 21/22. Well what do I know. Just thinking aloud. Hmmm
Cant be Wenger’s love child. He always wore protection. Silly!
Yeah seen the long coat he’s always trying to zip up? It could be defective!:D
I’d love for him to go on loan for a season and turn out to be the next Aguero when he comes back, but let’s be realistic, he’ll be forced to go on loan for 3 or 4 seasons and that’ll hinder his chances of ever breaking into our team. Joel Campbell is an exception but despite his performances, he was only given a chance because everyone was injured and Arsene probably wouldn’t mind selling him.
I read the blog today and blogs said that in order to make up the money for shirts else you have to sell a ridiculous amount. I actually believe that this link is purely commercial. Japan doesn’t have much to shout about when it comes to football. The National team is not amazing. They’ve never won any major international tournament. And the J. League is beyond belief bad. When any Japanese player goes to any European league it’s on the news every single day. When you wake up in the morning in Tokyo, and turn on the TV, if any,… Read more »
3m for shirt power and marketing and the POTENTIAL at 21yrs he may become something (like Honda), why not?
We need to build our merchandising side as we are far behind United overall. If the merchandising end goes up, they could relax the pressure on the tickets (although of course, don’t hold your breath)
So I’m not sure why the usual crowd is having a moan…well I am but whatever.:D
It maybe commercial. Or maybe, just maybe, they’ve scouted him and actually believe he has great qualities and potential?
News today that HULK (Brazilian one not the green bloke) is off to China for something ridiculous like 47m quid (if I heard right) The market for strikers is even tighter now with China in the game too and apparently willing and able to pay. Asamoah Gyan apparently is at the same club in Shanghai. These aren’t players way over the hill like in the MLS but in their prime years or thereabouts. Nominally some of these players would have been targets for the less well off Premiership clubs but as I mentioned, Wenger is facing a double crunch for… Read more »
ok. cool. Striker problem solved. Now let’s get another offensive midfielder and maybe another CB and then we’re good to go.
Jesus.
Seems about right.
Bull Ronaldo and his minions go through!!!!
What about Chuba? I actually didn’t think he was that bad when he played pre-season for us last year. He didn’t exactly light up the Championship last year but he’s got all the ingredients to lead the line – strong, sturdy, pacy and has a decent touch.
Well man united have signed Zlatan, Chelsea just signed michy batshuayi and are about sign Morata, we on the other hand are looking at this kid. There isn’t time for this. 3 striking options gone. All that is left is Lacazette and icardi. Higuain is said to be going to atletico.
It’s looking more and more likely that not only will Giroud be first choice, but we might not even sign a striker that can make an impact straight away.
If he follows this up with a proper striker signing then it will be one of the many gambles he takes on players on which only a few pan out. However, if it’s the only striker signing then fans will be outraged.