Arsenal – Is Takuma Asano Present Tense or Future Tense?

Welcome Takuma !!

Arsenal has agreed to a deal in principle to sign young Japanese forward Takuma Asano from Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Takuma signed for Sanfrecce Hiroshima as an 18-year-old in January 2013 and enjoyed great success with the J-League side, making 56 appearances and scoring 11 goals. During this time, Takuma won the J1 League in 2013 and 2015, the Japanese Super Cup in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and was voted as the J-League ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 2015.

He plays with the right foot and is noted for his speed. His nickname is the jaguar and can play from as a forward or from the right. Arsene Wenger describes him as one for the future.

We will all get to see Takuma play in the Rio Olympics and we can make our decisions as whether he is ready for the first team or should be looking out for a loan to help him develop the strength and quality needed for first team football.

This signing brings to question the issue of how we produce young strikers at Arsenal. Serge Gnarby and Chuba Akpom are struggling on loan, and there is little chance of them breaking into the team anytime soon. Iwobi finally got his chance and had taken it gracefully, but his future seems likely to be in the Ozil role.

The premier league is a very tough ground for young players and the transition from Japan to England would definitely have its effect on Takuma. The question most Arsenal fans would have on their minds would be that, does this signing count to filling the void for a forward to compete with Giroud that we all seek? Last season was a very tasking one for us and the worst possible follow up to it would be a transfer window that does not address the fundamental issues that were evident for all to see as the team struggled last season.

Is Takuma;

The next Bellerin : Develop within the club to become a shining star?

The next Coquelin: Develop else, come back to becoming a beacon of hope?

The next Sanogo: Get all the opportunities to succeed without having the skill to compete at top level?

The next Joel Campbell: Travel around Europe endlessly and then come back home to occupy the bench?

The next Park Chu-Young – No words !! No Words !!

Wenger is quoted as saying this signing is one for the future so I suspect the club will still be looking out for possible signings in the attacking department. However, its signings of these nature that propelled Leicester City to success last season and it would be ironic to praise them for winning the league with relative unknowns and then knock Arsenal for signing one. Wenger was quoted as stating it is easier for small clubs to get away with signing unknowns than for big clubs when Arsenal were closely linked with signing Michu in 2013.

“It’s very difficult. Because the level of expectation is very high,” said Wenger. “Because people want to come here and they want to see Lionel Messi.“They don’t want to see a promising guy.

“First of all, the name gives hope. When a guy has no name, people are already skeptical. So it’s much more difficult for us.

“We had heard of him (Michu). He was a guy who disappeared a little bit. He was in clubs where he was bombed out and so you always think, ‘OK, he doesn’t make it there why should he make it here? “But he has done extremely well. He looks as well it is not accidental what he is doing. He is a really good player. “

Overall, I think I will wait to Takuma play at Rio before I judge him, for now, its Welcome Takuma, I hope your best days are ahead of you.

What do you think?

TOKYO, JAPAN – DECEMBER 21: Takuma Asano of Sanfrecce Hiroshima is awarded as the Best Young Player during the J. League Awards 2015 on December 21, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)