Done deal. Nagoya have signed Jo. But they are very close to lose Taishi Taguchi to Jubilo. What they are thinking? Spending a lot on Jo and you can't keep Taguchi?
So reposting here all the confirmed transfers for the new season: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...YA4yk4w6Uc_2Kai1HRnWxa7fRl0Sjlqy33x-/pubhtml#
Why you think so? Sure, he's had a somewhat bumpy career but he is coming off his best ever season scoring 17 goals in Brazil last year so the timing couldn't have been better. It's not like they are signing a 35+ year old player who is only there for the money or to have one last adventure like Forlan, Wanchope etc. The potential is huge here I think.
Toyota errr Nagoya looking to make it rain more yen......for Aussie Mitchell James Langerak. http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/grampus/news/201801/CK2018010702000103.html
from interviews it sounds like he's cleaned up his act in recent years but paying so much money for a striker playing at his eighth club in ten years. his spell at corinthians was only the second time he played more than 17 league matches for a club since his days in atletico mineiro way back in 2012. which tells me he might struggle adapting to a completely new culture outside of his comforts in brazil. and should nagoya struggle early, which there is a likely chance given taguchi's transfer to jubilo iwata, jo will only become a easy scapegoat.
That's true, but I'm sure they have a plan for letting Taguchi go. And it sounds a lot of people are over-estimating Taguchi as well. Surely he is a good player but it's not like he set J1 on fire before, so why should we expect otherwise now? He was dominant in J2 last year, but that's a whole different league. Nagoya were one of the best teams in J1 around 2010-2011, but Taguchi didnt start playing matches regularly before 2012, and since then the best they ever managed was a 7th place (7, 10, 11, 9, 16). Not saying that is directly linked to Taguchi of course, but again, he have never really won anything (or even been involved in a partly successful side) and that shouldn't be overlooked. Some of the comments here make it sounds like he is on level with Endo and the 2 Nakamura's when they were in their prime, which is just plain wrong. About Jo, that's a fair point, but Japan is probably the easiest country for Brazilians to adopt in ( apart from Portugal for obvious reasons), and I think the chances for him to succeed is quite big. If they can keep Gabriel Xavier as well I think they got potentially one of the most exciting and dangerous attacks in the league.
Cerezo have signed Atomu Tanaka from HJK Helsinki, Toshiyuki Takagi from Urawa and Yang Dong Hyun from Pohang Steelers. Hardly the players to win them the title imho, but we'll see if anyone else comes in too. Yang have 2 pretty good seasons behind him, and will fill the role of the strong and powerful striker but he's already 31 years old so seems like a strange move. Atomu is also in his 30s, and can't really see which player he is going to replace in the starting lineup at Cerezo as the ones who are there already should be just as good, or better. Takagi however should be a nice addition, and give them some more options up front and out wide.
Meanwhile, Consadole Sapporo have also signed a couple of new players. Koji Miyoshi from Kawasaki and Yoshiaki Komai from Urawa looks like 2 very interesting signings. Komai didn't see much playing time at Urawa, but whenever he played he usually impressed. Not that thrilled by the arrival of Takumi Miyayoshi though. Once dubbed the biggest FW talent in Japan, he's had more than enough time to prove himself by now, and have barely had a single decent season since his debut back in 2009. He's more like a midfielder now, but J2 would be a more suitable level for him. Or J3,
Urawa also strengthening their team with 3 very interesting signings. CB Iwanami in from Kobe (hopefully that means we will see less of Moriwaki this year), Kosuke Taketomi from Reysol, and perhaps the biggest one: Martinus from Marinos. And Yamada is also back.
They have already announced the numers. So most likely no more impressive transfers for them. They have Martinus, Zlatan, Mauricio and Rafael Silva. No AFC player yet again and only 3 of the 4 foreigners can be on the field at the same time. Nasu have moved to Kobe.
Meanwhile in Yokohama FC club ≪2018シーズン契約更新選手のお知らせ≫横浜FCでは、FW三浦知良選手と2018シーズンの契約を更新いたしましたのでお知らせいたします。■三浦知良選手コメント:「今シーズンも無事に契約を更新することができました。どんな時もサッカーに全力で向き合い成長出来たらと思います。」 pic.twitter.com/J17RbPYTpY— 横浜FC【公式】 (@yokohama_fc) January 11, 2018
Chinese money yet again. ACL winner Rafael Silva goes in China, but not in the Super League. It's to second division side Wuhan Zall.
Meanwhile, Aria Jasuru Hasegawa has landed a new contract with Nagoya Grampus this time. How on earth is it that a player like that keeps getting picked up by relatively big clubs? He's done nothing remarkable his entire career, nor been a part of even a remotely succesful side. Atleast not as a regular. Yokohama F Marinos were pretty decent when he played there in his younger days, but he was hardly a regular and only started a handful of matches each season. Then after that FC Tokyo picks him up, where he stays for 2 seasons. 8th and 10th place is where they finish, which at best we can call acceptable. But it was around this time people on this board and also elsewhere started to get enthusiastic about him. Not that he was ever that good though. After FCT his career has been a total failure, with a failed spell in Spanish Segunda, and 3(!) relegations with Cerezo, Shonan and Omiya. Not that all of that is his fault of course, but can something explain to me what it is managers see in him that make them sign this player over and over again? Surely he is not J1 material, and it is exactly what was mentioned earlier here about clearly not good enough players somehow managing to find new contracts somewhere.
Seems reasonable. Anyway, Urawa won't be too much behind Kawasaki in money earned this year after all which is good (for me and Reds supporters).