Japanese international Yosuke Ideguchi is set to sign for the club this month after Leeds have been negotiating a deal to sign the highly rated youngster from his native Japan. The deal has been on the cards for a while now, and according to Phil Hay there is still work to be done to tie it up but it is expected to happen.
Ideguchi is currently the face of Japanese football and he will be representing the nation in the summer in Russia, his goal against Australia late on secured a route to the finals although he is more of a defensive midfielder. It’s hard to judge or rate players who come from abroad, especially from leagues that aren’t as accessible as the major European ones but everything we hear is pointing to the fact that Leeds are to secure a deal for one of the most talented players of his generation in that nation, and what comes with that may have also forced the hand of Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani.
Ideguchi has huge market value in terms of revenue. Some of the biggest clubs in the world have broken into the Asian market in the last decade to take players who stand out for ability and their marketing potential. The interest that can be raised from Asian nations shouldn’t be understated and the likes of Andrea Radrizzani and Ivan Bravo will be well aware of that. On top of that though the standard of player has to be good and that will be the job of Victor Orta, who has set up a scouting system in Asia in recent months. The player will have to be loaned out due to work permit issues but is expected to be available next season.
