Andres Iniesta has not long ended his long association with boyhood club Barcelona but speculation as to where he'll turn up next has already been rife. He’s been linked with moves to the Premier League, as well as the MLS and China but Japan might be his intended destination.
That according to reports in the Japanese media suggesting that the World Cup-winner: “has agreed to an annual salary and other basic terms with J.League’s Vissel Kobe.”
According to Japanese newspaper Sports Hochi, "The signing will be announced after Barcelona plays the game against Real Sociedad on the 20th, after which they are expected to visit Japan.”
The credence to this link seems to the fact that the owner of Vissel Kobe, Hiroshi Mikitani, is also the owner of Barcelona’s main sponsor, e-commerce firm Rakuten.
Should the diminutive midfielder make a move east, he’ll link up with the former Germany international stalwart Lukas Podolski, who made the move out to the port city of Kobe after leaving Arsenal last year. The club are well bankrolled by Mikitani and Podolski is reported to be on a contract worth circa. £4M per year.
The club currently sit seventh in the J.League table with the season approaching the halfway point.
While the Japanese press continue to circulate information about the progress of the deal, a club spokesperson has said he has "no information" about a deal with Iniesta being close to completion.
Iniesta joined the famed Barcelona academy at La Masia at the age of 12 and has racked up a remarkable 437 appearances at the Camp Nou.
