Arsenal Striker Takuma Asano Will Continue To Play Abroad Due To Work Permit Issue
Jun 20, 2017 at 10:29 AM
Arsenal have agreed the loan deal for striker Takumo Asano for the upcoming season with German club Stuttgart. The 22-year old had signed for Gunners from Sanfrecce Hiroshima last summer but was denied to play for Arsenal as he does not qualify for work permit in United Kingdom.
The Japanese international had spent the last season with Stuttgart in the second division of Germany. After sealing the deal for Asano, Arsene Wenger had called him ‘a talented young striker and very much one for the future’.
However, the club will need to wait longer as he failed to qualify for the work permit even this year after a loan spell with Stuttgart last season. The striker had managed to four goals and assist four more in the 22 appearances he made for the German club.
According to German media outlet Bild, Asano’s work permit got rejected as he managed to make less than 25 appearances last season for Stuttgart despite the club making a promotion to Bundesliga for the upcoming season.
Asano caught the eyes of some of the big clubs last summer when he impressed everyone with his incredible skills during the Rio 2016 Olympics for the Japanese U-23 side. He was then invited by Stuttgart to play for them in the second tier of German football.
He had a decent season with the club and would compete against some of the biggest teams in Germany this season in the top flight which would be ideal for the player’s development this season. Stuttgart’s sporting director Jan Schindelmeiser has also confirmed that he would be staying at the club for another season.
Arsenal are currently looking for a top class striker and the club will need to wait for one more season to get Asano into their roster. Wenger is determined to add a new striker to his squad as the Gunners look to make huge improvements to their squad.
The Gunners are linked to both Alexandre Lacazette and Kylian Mbappe with Wenger ready to spend big this summer to summon a squad that could win the Premier League next season.