Arsenal have apparently agreed a deal for 21-year-old Japanese forward Takuma Asano, as confirmed on the club’s official website.
The promising Japanese star joins the North London side from Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima, for whom he has scored 21 goals in 83 appearances in all competition. On the transfer, Arsene Wenger was quoted on Arsenal’s official website saying the following:
“Takuma is a talented young striker and very much one for the future. He has had an impressive start to his career in Japan and we look forward to him developing over the next couple of years.”
The Japanese starlet has also scored a goal for his national team, for which he has played 5 times, and is expected to be part of the Japanese national team that participate in the Rio Olympics.
Although he might not be in the same league as some of the big names Arsenal have been linked with, Takuma has his own qualities, and to the frustration of the fans, is not likely to offer any solution to their goal conversions up front.
In other words, he is unlikely the ‘missing piece’ in Arsene Wenger’s puzzle in the context of contending for the premier league crown.
Takuma however has his own qualities which are in their own right exceptional, and above your average reserve and/or young player talent. The Japanese forward is agile, short, and particularly intelligent while making runs between defensive lines.
At his age, he is a proved to be a composed finisher, regardless of the fact that composure in the premier league is a scarce good nowadays.
It is highly probable Takuma will be loaned out to gain some premier league experience, rather than be drafted into the first team.
Yes, he is Asian, has played in Japan, is young and has no idea what he is getting into. Neither is he or his transfer in anyway Arsenal’s attempt at finding a solution after the Vardy deal collapsed.
It can be frustrating for all of us fans who have our fingers crossed that Wenger will bring in a world class, proven striker to compete with and in all possibility replace Olivier Giroud up front. Additionally, Arsene Wenger’s record with Asian players hasn’t been in the very least, let’s say satisfactory!!
It is wrong to think of him in the same context as these other big names. In fact it would be incorrect to look at Arsenal’s transfer approach in that manner.
Rather, it could, in the interim, be a decent exercise for fans to spend time thinking about Takuma as a prospect and one who could be a future star at the Emirates.
