Yoshinori Muto Rejects Chelsea FC For Mainz
Japanese star Yoshinori Muto has revealed his reasons for rejecting a big move to Chelsea FC, instead opting to sign for Bundesliga outfit Mainz.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
If you’ve been following the Muto transfer saga that seemingly appeared out of nowhere a few months ago, you would have noticed that a deal for a fee around £4 million was all but sealed. Then you may have also noticed that the 22 year old had rejected the move. Well now the FC Tokyo winger has explained why he didn’t feel that relocating to West London was a good decision for him:
‘I wanted to keep my expectation realistic and play for a team that fits my level,’ he said upon finalising his transfer to the German team.
He was also impressed by Mainz’s desire to sign him while stating that his only focus is to carry on scoring goals.
‘I began to want to compete at a level above. They really showed they wanted me. From the word go I’d like to focus on scoring goals.’
Perhaps Stamford Bridge could come calling again in a few years time
You certainly can’t fault his reasoning here and it shows incredible maturity from a young man who could have easily been phased by the bright lights of Stamford Bridge and the biggest football competition in the world. Muto recognised that his playing time would be limited at Chelsea and that the feelings that this deal were borne from significant commercial interests were not wholly unfounded. Jose Mourinho even admitted as much when pressed about the move:
‘That’s modern football. That’s modern management. You cannot close completely the door to commercial interests.’
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
The Blues recently signed a mega sponsorship deal with Japanese tyre firm Yokohama, which was almost immediately followed by the first murmurings of a Muto bid. This raised questions about the influences that commercial partners can have on football clubs, an issue which my colleague (and editor) Khaled Abdallah addressed in his article.
Meanwhile, the collapse of the deal is probably better for the club as Premier League-challenging squads can never afford any passengers. It is almost certainly better for Muto too. The names of Scott Sinclair and Rickie Lambert come to mind when thinking about players who bit off more than they could chew and it’s refreshing to see a player who is able to properly assess the situation before jumping into a big money deal.
Having already been capped for his country 11 times and having garnered praise from the likes of Japanese legend Keisuke Honda, it seems inevitable that his time will come. Perhaps even Stamford Bridge could come calling again a few years down the road.
Do you reckon that we’ll ever see Muto line-up in a Blue shirt? Vote in the poll and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below!