http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/h...-OHT1T00038.htm http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/h...-OHT1T00107.htm Found this in an Arsenal message board. Can you guys confrim it and tell me how good he is?
17?, he might play in the university leagues or something. I have no idea who he is? he isn't even in the under 19s, god knows how Arsenal found him. Must be good then if they want him, and it can't be Inamoto all over again because this guy is just a youth
He is an under-19 Japanese international and played the under-19 international tournament in Qatar, which Japan won. Very fast player. Many J-League giants like Marinos, Urawa and Kashima are interested in him.
Wrong Ito, I think. Im pretty sure the guy who played for the U-19 team in Qatar is **Ryo** Ito, an 18-year-old who came up through the FC Tokyo youth team. There was no player listed in the U-19 roster named **Sho** Ito, and anyway, the guy said that Sho Ito is just 17. Japan didnt take any players born after 1987 to Qatar. Im not 100% positive, but Im pretty sure that either the original post has his name and age wrong, or you are taking about a different Ito.
カタールで得た自信と可能性（１／２） カタール国際ユース大会 http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/soccer/japan/column/200602/at00007652.html 吉田監督の冒頭のコメントのように、まさに「勝利にこだわることと試すことを同時に行う」一戦となったカタール戦。スタメンの顔ぶれは大きく変わった。初戦はボランチだった青山隼（名古屋ユース）をセンターバックに、ボランチには森重真人（広島皆実高）と田中を組ませ、右ＭＦには安田理大（Ｇ大阪ユース）を、２トップには青木と伊藤翔（中京大中京高）を配置。この布陣が新たな可能性を示した。
No need to be unhappy, I SAID I wasnt 100% sure. I was thinking of this one http://www.fctokyo.co.jp/home/index.phtml?cont=u_item&item=298
He plays for Chukyo University, I don't think he's in the pic though http://www.jfa.or.jp/e/news/2005/051110_1.html
It's obviously a load of crap, Arsenal are known for spotting great young talent but no team in the prem would risk buying someone from a uni side. It's just too high of a risk and not to mention he just wouldn't get a permit for England. Same thing happend to that Chinese guy who Man Utd bought, he had to go to Bulgaria because he couldn't get a permit for England.
Dong Fangzhou went to Belgium But maybe Ito Sho has a passport we don't know about? Why else would Arsenal take him in the first place.
I don't think arsenal are risking anything, he's only a youngster. Not like there paying £20 million for him is it. Also Hirayama came from the University leagues to go to Hracles and he's been brilliant, theres alot of talent in those leagues
I don't know, Wenger has connections everywhere, and Japan is no exception after his spell with Grampus. He has a habit of finding gems. Arsenal have a relationship with Celta de Vigo for passports.
To clear things up, he is not in the university leagues - he is at Chukyo University <i>High School</i>, a high school attached to the university (it's pretty common for a private uni in Japan to also have a high school). As for the work permit issue, I don't think he has a chance. He doesn't have any senior NT experience, and even players from more glamorous footballing nations, like Mark González of Chile, have trouble getting visa on appeal. If Arsenal signed Ito, they'd probably loan him out to another European league so he can get some seasoning and bolster his case for a permit. But let's not get carried away - he just had a trial and he'll have another one in the summer, which means he hasn't impressed Wenger enough yet.
Yes Chile is a vastly superior nation to Japan But nonetheless you make a good point. I don't see the point of Arsenal taking him in if he is incapable of having a chance of making a work permit. Unless he has a citizenship to a Euro country that we don't know about.
You're right, of course. At this point, Japan is probably better than Chile in both talent and organization, but to people in Europe, I think South America will always be more glamorous. Also, the UK Labour Ministry is making the call here and they probably think more highly of Chile than Japan.
Well whatever happens i would love him to get the chance to go to Arsenal, not because i expect him to ever be close to there first team but just the experience he will get with the Arsenal coaching staff and stuff will be really great
I apologise...but I don't know what position he plays... but meh! He could make it into first team, I mean c'mon, England just put a 17 year old with no premiership expreience on their first team roster.
i think sven's just ********ing around, seeing that he's leaving in a couple of months. really, he's taking 4 forwards, and 2 of them are in no shape to be running around right now. or maybe, he's planning ahead and hopefully giving him some experience like brazil did for ronaldo. but really, ito sho to arsenal? a bit hard to believe. though wenger is excellent at finding youngsters. but why would take a chance on an asian kid? it's not like getting a spanish kid or a swiss kid. they're much closer to home and have the far more of a chance acclimating. it's one thing when you're an adult and you whine about a country, but its totally another when you're a kid.