Nakamura close to signing with Espanyol: report

June 17, 2009

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan and Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura is on the verge of signing with Espanyol to realise his longtime dream of playing in the Spanish league, according to a press report.

Nakamura’s agent Roberto Tsukuda and Espanyol have “already reached a basic agreement” on the midfielder’s transfer to the Spanish club, the Sports Hochi reported citing an unnamed source involved in the talks under way in Barcelona.

The daily said that Espanyol sporting director Ramon Planes had secretly visited Japan recently and offered Nakamura a two-year deal with an annual pre-tax wage of 200 million yen (2.1 million dollars).

Tsukuda has been talking with Planes and Espanyol executive German de la Cruz four times a day since he arrived in Barcelona late Saturday, Hochi said.

The agent is expected to return to Japan shortly. His Tokyo office, Sport Consulting Japan, refused to comment on the report.

Nakamura, who turns 31 next week, had intially expressed his readiness to re-sign with his former J-League club Yokohama Marinos when his contract with the former Scottish champions expires at the end of this month.

But the talks with Yokohama have stalled with Nakamura’s side reportedly citing the club’s “insincerity” over financial matters and requests for his appearances in club events before he signed a contract.

Yokohama have offered him a two-and-a-half-year deal with an annual wage of 150 million yen, according to Japanese media.

Nakamura has spent the past seven seasons in Europe, the first three with Italy’s Reggina. The left-footed deadball specialist helped the Glasgow side clinch the Scottish Premier League title from 2006 to 2008.