‘Plan A in half’ Mitoma’s eyes
Barcelona are looking to sign Japanese soccer star Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion) as a relatively cheap and marketable addition to their squad.
“At the moment, Barcelona only have one left winger in the squad, Ferran Torres, so Kaoru Mitoma could be a possibility,” Spanish outlet El Goal Digital reported on Sunday.
According to the outlet, Barcelona, who are preparing for the new season under new head coach Hanji Flick, are targeting Spain international Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) this summer.
The young winger, born in 2002, had an outstanding 2023-24 season, scoring eight goals and providing 17 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. His blistering speed and fluid dribbling ability earned him a call-up to the Spanish national team, which is competing at the UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2024).
Barcelona are keen to sign Williams after his stellar performances in La Liga, but his price tag has put pressure on the club and they have begun to keep an eye on the more affordable Kaoru Mitoma.
“Mitoma, who mainly plays as a left winger, could be a very good alternative to Nico Williams,” the outlet explained, adding that “Athletic are holding out for €60 million for Williams, which would be a huge amount for Barcelona.”
“Conversely, Barcelona believe they can sign Japanese star Mitoma for €30 million, half of Williams’ fee,” he added.
“However, Mitoma’s base transfer fee is €45 million and he is under contract at Brighton until 2027 and is one of the club’s most consistent starters, but with the departure of manager Robert De Gea, there are questions about whether there will be a place for him in the new team.”
Born in 1997, Mitoma was one of the Premier League’s top dribblers when he was on form. He had an impressive year in his debut Premier League 안전놀이터 season with Brighton in 2022-23, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists in 41 appearances across all competitions, including seven league goals and six assists.
He continued to be a regular in the Brighton lineup at the start of the 2023-24 season, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 13 appearances, and signed a new four-year contract with the club last October that will keep him at the club until 2027. His weekly wage was also reportedly increased to £80,000 (approximately $131.5 million).
However, ankle and back injuries hampered him in the second half of the season, and he finished the 2023-24 campaign with three goals and five assists in 26 games. However, he was performing well before his injury, which attracted interest from La Liga giants Barcelona.
Mitoma’s position at Brighton could change this summer as his manager, Robert De Jervi, left the club and was replaced by Fabian Hürzeler, who, at just 31, became the youngest manager in Premier League history.
Of course, it’s possible that Wenger values Mitoma as much as his predecessor, De Jervi, did, but Barcelona were hoping for a situation where the 카지노사이트 순위 winger would fall out of the club’s plans and become available on the transfer market.
Barcelona’s desire to sign Mitoma is not only because he is a winger who has performed well in the Premier League, but also because he is cheaper than their top target, Nico Williams.
Mitoma is one of Japan’s biggest soccer stars, so signing him could have a positive impact on the Asian market, including Japan. Especially for Barcelona, which is known for its financial instability, a talented Asian player is likely to be attractive.
In fact, in an effort to generate revenue, Barcelona attempted to travel to South Korea in late May to play a friendly against a K League team even though the 2023-24 season was not yet over, but the trip was canceled due to scheduling issues.