Rumoured Yoshinori Muto

[Spike 12,049]

I think a Dutch player should be signed to tap into the European market. Shirt sales will sky rocket in Lithuania and Macedonia.

[Spike 12,049]

Why do people think that signing a Japanese player will make the club more popular in Japan? Timmy Cahill is one of my all time favourite players and I don't support Everton.

Do a lot of the American users on here support Everton because of Donovan and Howard? Do they support Fulham because of Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Lewis?

[David88 3]

I think that, to an extent, it is true that for many japanese there is a certain pride when a player gets to a big club, so a few might become "fan" of it. But the reality is that they are fan of Muto, and if tomorrow he changes team, they aren't Chelsea fans anymore. So it doesn't make any difference in the end, at best they'd pick up his shirt.

However, I laugh when people take out the myth of the shirt sales. If Muto gets loaned out - and that's very likely considering the visa issue, or spends time outside the bench, I can guarantee Chelsea is not going to see any considerable revenue from shirt sales. Let's be realistic.

[We Hate Scouse 10,327]

Why do people think that signing a Japanese player will make the club more popular in Japan? Timmy Cahill is one of my all time favourite players and I don't support Everton.

Do a lot of the American users on here support Everton because of Donovan and Howard? Do they support Fulham because of Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Lewis?

Culture.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Why do people think that signing a Japanese player will make the club more popular in Japan? Timmy Cahill is one of my all time favourite players and I don't support Everton.

Do a lot of the American users on here support Everton because of Donovan and Howard? Do they support Fulham because of Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Lewis?

Examples don't prove or disprove something like this. It is completely illogical to imply so. You can point to literally millions of Egyptians who suddenly became Chelsea fans when we signed Salah and then left with him or how our fan-base in Belgium exploded after Hazard and co. I support Sacramento Kings in the NBA because my uncle who used to live in California when I was little supported them because they were owned by a Lebanese business man. Does that mean that the assumption is both true and false?! Human behavior, especially in groups and communities, is too complicated to be analyzed in this manner.

[Spike 12,049]

Examples don't prove or disprove something like this. It is completely illogical to imply so. You can point to literally millions of Egyptians who suddenly became Chelsea fans when we signed Salah and then left with him or how our fan-base in Belgium exploded after Hazard and co. I support Sacramento Kings in the NBA because my uncle who used to live in California when I was little supported them because they were owned by a Lebanese business man. Does that mean that the assumption is both true and false?! Human behavior, especially in groups and communities, is too complicated to be analyzed in this manner.

So it is okay to assume that it will increase popularity but not okay to assume that it won't? Kay.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

So it is okay to assume that it will increase popularity but not okay to assume that it won't? Kay.

Read again. I'm saying it's not okay to assume either based solely on previous examples with very faint similarities. Kay, baby-boy? xoxo

[Spike 12,049]

Read again. I'm saying it's not okay to assume either based solely on previous examples with very faint similarities. Kay, baby-boy? xoxo

ANd yet I was the only one you decided to quote...

[iseah100 5,612]

Why do people think that signing a Japanese player will make the club more popular in Japan? Timmy Cahill is one of my all time favourite players and I don't support Everton.

Do a lot of the American users on here support Everton because of Donovan and Howard? Do they support Fulham because of Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Lewis?

Mexicans like Man u more cause of Chicharo. It happens man, I'm sure we'll get quite a bit of Asian fans if we sign him.

[Spike 12,049]

Mexicans like Man u more cause of Chicharo. It happens man, I'm sure we'll get quite a bit of Asian fans if we sign him.

Why would the rest of Asia support Chelsea because of a Japanese player?

Japan is not equal to an entire continent.

[nyikolajevics 2,703]

Why do people think that signing a Japanese player will make the club more popular in Japan? Timmy Cahill is one of my all time favourite players and I don't support Everton.

Do a lot of the American users on here support Everton because of Donovan and Howard? Do they support Fulham because of Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Lewis?

USA might be not the best example, most of the people there don't give a shit about European football. Premier League is very popular in Japan, they are very enthusiastic fans.

There have been many Australian players in the Premier League, even at big clubs, it's not that special I guess. A Japanese guy playing for the champion might be a big thing though.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

Why do people think that signing a Japanese player will make the club more popular in Japan? Timmy Cahill is one of my all time favourite players and I don't support Everton.

Do a lot of the American users on here support Everton because of Donovan and Howard? Do they support Fulham because of Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Lewis?

I agree that when a team signs a local hero, it shoudlnt make the local hardcore football fan support that team, but not everyone is hardcore, infact most fans arent. A japanese guy, or especially a kid who like football can see Muto in Chelsea, and naturaly it would make Chelsea more watchable and and a bit special for him than any other big club in Europe. It could stop there, but it also could make him start liking the team itself, and he'll be a fan in the end who buys shirts and flies to see Chelsea play. You even dont have to be a real fan to do both things.

And about your examples, Everton and Fulham are not Chelsea. Simple as that, its a different story.

Im also saying this cause i see it happens in Israel, if its Yossi in Liverpool, Avram Grant in Chelsea, or in the NBA with the Cavs coach David Blatt.

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

Imo it works. How well it works is up to the player.

A lot of people are focusing on shirtsales and the new fans a team gets by buying a "marketable player" but that's just short term.

Like David88 said the majority of those new fans will just leave when the player leaves. The majority won't buy a shirt and even if they did there's not much money to make with shirtsales as the club only gets a small percentage.

We aren't going to make millions and gain millions of fans just by buying a Japanese player. It's something that going to take time and will depend heavily on how long the players stays and how successfull he is.

The longer the marketable player stays at the club and the more succesfull he is (more gametime) , the more likely it is that more of those fans will be sticking around (and buying his shirt), even after the player leaves and become proper fans.

At the end of the day though it's all about getting our club name out there. Club names have become brands now. Any time they'll mention his name they'll mention the club name aswell.

Also the fans we gain will also help expand our fanbase further as they'll "infect" other people into showing an interest in our games. I know that might sound odd but ask yourself, how many times has a person become a fan of a club because one of his friends or family members was a fan ? That happens quite a lot.

[Oscar 441]

DO people realize that Samsung was the sponsors the past few season?

Samsung> some unknown Japanese player broke into asian markets. THe board already tapped into the asian markets with its previous shirt deal, this Muto signing is basically a contract clause that was signed most likely..

[David88 3]

Mexicans like Man u more cause of Chicharo. It happens man, I'm sure we'll get quite a bit of Asian fans if we sign him.

As long as he was there, probably...

USA might be not the best example, most of the people there don't give a shit about European football. Premier League is very popular in Japan, they are very enthusiastic fans.

There have been many Australian players in the Premier League, even at big clubs, it's not that special I guess. A Japanese guy playing for the champion might be a big thing though.

That's assuming Muto plays for Chelsea, which is very unlikely in its first season, though. That's a key concept.

I agree that when a team signs a local hero, it shoudlnt make the local hardcore football fan support that team, but not everyone is hardcore, infact most fans arent. A japanese guy, or especially a kid who like football can see Muto in Chelsea, and naturaly it would make Chelsea more watchable and and a bit special for him than any other big club in Europe. It could stop there, but it also could make him start liking the team itself, and he'll be a fan in the end who buys shirts and flies to see Chelsea play. You even dont have to be a real fan to do both things.

A japanese guy who likes football likes Chelsea a bit more because a well-regarded player joins them, that's ok.

He then proceeds to fly to see Chelsea's matches. From Japan. So, at best, Chelsea gains a couple of tickets, sometimes, from a couple of crazy fans.

Gotcha

Jokes apart, as for the shirt, it's the same thing. Shirts are not going to sell in significant numbers apart from an initial boost if the player is loaned, or does not play.

At the end of the day though it's all about getting our club name out there. Club names have become brands now. Any time they'll mention his name they'll mention the club name aswell.

Also the fans we gain will also help expand our fanbase further as they'll "infect" other people into showing an interest in our games. I know that might sound odd but ask yourself, how many times has a person become a fan of a club because one of his friends or family members was a fan ? That happens quite a lot.

Until he's loaned out\doesn't play, the "Chelsea brand" won't grow much in actual generated revenue in Japan, though. Actually, the club who gets him on loan would probably benefit more from it, lol.

If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if United's brand got a "depreciation" in Japan after how they treated Kagawa after Ferguson left. So it's not going to be that simple, these type of fans are not just "product consumers", they must be emotionally invested.

However, as I said, I find disrespectful to assume that "it's all about" this or that. Nah. It's about getting a potentially talented player which could end up in first team or resold for a profit, and a potentially lucrative deal on the commercial side.

DO people realize that Samsung was the sponsors the past few season?

Samsung> some unknown Japanese player broke into asian markets. THe board already tapped into the asian markets with its previous shirt deal, this Muto signing is basically a contract clause that was signed most likely..

edit: I think I had misunderstood your post. Btw, Samsung has been a sponsor but Chelsea hasn't bought a korean player. It's good food for thought

If by "contract clause" you're talking about a clause with Yokohama though, that is so unrealistic that I don't even know where to begin.

[blu35_army 551]

if it true,,hope he can shine at least like Ji-Sung Park...

[nadavTKL 1,787]

A japanese guy who likes football likes Chelsea a bit more because a well-regarded player joins them, that's ok.

He then proceeds to fly to see Chelsea's matches. From Japan. So, at best, Chelsea gains a couple of tickets, sometimes, from a couple of crazy fans.

Gotcha

Jokes apart, as for the shirt, it's the same thing. Shirts are not going to sell in significant numbers apart from an initial boost if the player is loaned, or does not play.

In my post im explaining i can understand this signing, i can see where its coming from and i think this signing could drive kids and people in Japan to like Chelsea. Spike's comment suggested it would do nothing, i disagree. But, i dont really know the economical details or facts to say if its really worth it for the club, so i dont really have an opinion about it.

[Oscar 441]

edit: I think I had misunderstood your post. Btw, Samsung has been a sponsor but Chelsea hasn't bought a korean player. It's good food for thought

If by "contract clause" you're talking about a clause with Yokohama though, that is so unrealistic that I don't even know where to begin.

Clubs bent over all the time in sponsors deals.. Nothing unusual.

Jose doesn't even know who this guy is and when has he ever purchased anyone from Japan, let alone asia? This deal is 100 percent a deal made by the board because of a clause in the contract.

[Reddish-Blue 2,512]

I don't see the fuss regarding Muto....he won't be much more than a squad player at Chelsea

[Amblève. 4,995]

If he's gonna ride the bench then hell no. From a pure competitiveness point of view we could use that non-HG spot way better than on a 3rd string stiker.