Wenger was right about Japanese football

English football is opening a new chapter in the journey to find talent, with destinations no longer limited to South America or continental Europe but strongly oriented towards Asia - a place that is producing players who are both technical and ambitious, and especially have a much more "affordable" fee than the traditional market.

Arsene Wenger's prediction comes true

Tottenham and Newcastle are two clubs that have been at the forefront of this trend. Last summer, Spurs made headlines by signing Kota Takai, a 20-year-old centre-back who has been described as the “Japanese Van Dijk”, for just under £6m.

At the same time, Newcastle quickly completed the deal to recruit Park Seung-soo from Suwon Bluewings. These deals are no longer simply experiments but have become strategic choices.

In 2013, Arsene Wenger predicted that Japan would become a “gold mine” of world football talent. At that time, not many people believed in his vision.

However, now Wenger's words have come true. Japanese and Korean football are entering a period of explosion, not only affirming their names at the World Cup but also continuously producing stars approaching European level.

In 2013, Arsene Wenger predicted that Japan would become a "gold mine" of world football talent.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) is a prime example - a fast, versatile and tactically intelligent player. He is living proof of the remarkable progress of the Japanese youth system.

When Liverpool captain Wataru Endo publicly declared that “it’s time to talk about winning the World Cup”, it was no longer a cliché. Japan are not just playing in a major tournament, they are aiming to reach the semi-finals in 2030 and, further, win the title by mid-century.

The Premier League, with its speed and intensity, was once considered a “difficult land” for Asian players. But English football is changing. The style of play is more technical, requiring tactics and adaptability - factors that are the strengths of Japanese and Korean players.

Eddy Bosnar, a former player who played in both Japan and Korea, said: “English football is now more suited to Japanese players than ever. They are not only skillful but also extremely hard-working and always ready to learn.” Such progress means that the Championship now has nine Japanese players - a number that far exceeds many traditional European countries.

Low cost, big potential

With the value of European players skyrocketing, it makes more sense to “fish far from home” in Asia. Takai, the most expensive player in J.League history, still costs a fraction of the average European centre-back. With the right investment and development potential, the financial risk for English clubs is almost zero.

The Japanese also have a clear philosophy of exporting players: they want young stars to go abroad to improve national football, instead of keeping them in the J.League. This is similar to the strategy of Croatia - a country famous for "selling players to mature and benefit from the second transfer".

Mitoma is a mainstay of Brighton.

If Japan is a story of vision and a systematic training system, then South Korea is a story of “pioneers” like Park Ji-sung. When he joined Manchester United in 2005, Park not only became the first Asian player to have a resounding success at Old Trafford, but also opened the door to the Premier League for many generations to come.

Currently, South Korea continues to produce talents such as Jeon Jin-woo, who is being sought after by Championship clubs. Although Jeonbuk Motors is keeping him to compete for the championship, the trend of Korean players moving to Europe is inevitable.

Currently, Japanese and Korean players are still undervalued in terms of transfer value compared to their ability. But with the explosion of stars like Mitoma or Son Heung-min, the fees will certainly escalate soon. This is the time when English clubs "buy cheap and get quality", but this door will not be open forever.

The world used to mock Asian signings as just selling shirts. Now that view is outdated. Japan and Korea are no longer “commercial markets” but are actually sources of quality players capable of changing the game in the Premier League.

The rise of Asia in football is no longer a story of the future but is already happening. With clever transfer strategies, Tottenham, Newcastle and many other English clubs are exploring the “golden land” that Wenger predicted more than a decade ago.

And if they don't take advantage of this moment, they may pay a heavy price when Asia truly becomes a football powerhouse in the next few years.

Source: https://znews.vn/ong-wenger-da-dung-ve-bong-da-nhat-ban-post1556302.html