Inamoto wants to stay in Europe

13 April 2012

Arsenal reject Junichi Inamoto is determined to continue plying his trade in Europe - and is convinced his Japan team-mates will follow suit if they are to prove a bigger hit at the 2006 World Cup.

Inamoto, who was released from his contract by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger two weeks ago, has told local media he has not given up hope of returning to Highbury following imminent talks with the Frenchman.

Inamoto signed a five-year contract last summer, with the initial year serving as a loan for which the Gunners paid Gamba Osaka £400,000.

A further £1.6million would have been payable this summer if Arsenal had chosen to take up the option of making the move permanent for the remaining four years of the contract.

Wenger chose not to do so, unfortunately at a time when Inamoto was turning himself into a World Cup star after scoring in both of Japan's opening group matches.

When news broke of Wenger's decision, the Japanese Football Association immediately banned him from talking to Inamoto so as not to upset the player at a time when he needed to concentrate on his country's cause.

Sadly for Inamoto, his form dipped regardless as the 22-year-old was substituted at half-time in the final group match against Tunisia, and again yesterday as Japan bowed out of the competition after suffering a 1-0 second-round defeat to Turkey.

Outgoing coach Philippe Troussier claims his squad lacked the necessary experience needed to progress further, and Inamoto agrees.

If Japan are to mount a serious challenge in Germany in four years' time, Inamoto believes gaining such experience will only come from playing in Europe rather than in the domestic J-League.

With PSV Eindhoven understood to be keen to sign Inamoto, as Osaka are now free to negotiate a new deal with any interested party, and with Hidetoshi Nakata and Shinji Ono with Parma and Feyenoord respectively, an exodus is expected.

"The fact we could not reach the quarter-final shows that Japan is not quite there in terms of experience," stated Inamoto, who made just four appearances for Arsenal last season.

"It was a match we could have won, but that's the World Cup. We will need to have overcome our weaknesses by the time we play in the 2006 tournament.

"The potential for Japanese football is very big and if we are to do better than we did in this tournament then we need experience because there is a difference between Japan and the rest of the world.

"The experience will come with playing abroad, which is where I would like to stay if I am to hone my skills, and I have a feeling a number of my team-mates will want to do the same."

Inamoto refuses to blame his departure from Arsenal as the reason why his level of performance dipped remarkably in Japan's final two matches.

Inamoto, however, still retains the typical Japanese trait of dignity so is not willing to point an accusing finger as he added: "There was a lot of pressure on us ahead of this game.

"For the first two games I was playing the best football of my career for Japan and to score two goals was unbelievable.

"But in the last two matches, in particular against Tunisia, I was unable to do much of anything. Against Turkey, I just did not play as well as I had hoped."

Nakata, meanwhile, has declared his intention to remain with Parma for next season despite a poor campaign with the Italian club in his first year.

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