Yoshinori Muto is set to sign for Newcastle United and he will soon be announced as a Newcastle player once he is issued a work permit. The deal is said to be worth £9.5m and this is going to be Newcastle’s fifth signing of the summer. The player has undergone a medical in England and the personal terms have also been agreed.
Muto gave a good account of himself in the World Cup and that has certainly pushed his stock high. The Japanese team punched above their weight as they made out of the group stages and gave Belgium a big scare in the Round of 16. The 26-year-old forward was crucial for the Asian side as he played his role extremely well.
Signing a striker was of utmost priority for the Magpies as they lacked the cutting edge in front of goal last season. The likes of Dwight Gayle and Joselu had a below-par season and it was only the introduction of Ayoze Perez in the second half of the season which propelled the Magpies to a top half finish. Their season was largely built on the back of strong and disciplined defensive performances.
It will be interesting to see how Muto will be able to cope with the challenges of the Premier League. The English league is known for its physicality and high tempo and the Japanese might struggle to adapt to that. It could be one of the reasons why Benitez might not deploy him to lead the line for the Magpies and we can very much see him play in a secondary striker role at St James Park, indulging more into link-up play with his teammates.
Last season for Mainz, the forward managed a tally of 10 goals and 5 assists and the German outfit have made a neat profit on the player as they brought him in from Tokyo FC for £2.5m. None of the Newcastle United players, on the other hand, managed to touch the 10- goal mark last season.
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Muto is a player who makes the most of his abilities. He has decent pace and uses it well to bring out delightful results. The top-flight of English football is full of quality defenders and Muto will need to put his best foot forward to be a success there. He is likely to fight for a place in the starting lineup with Ayoze Perez and might be used more as a squad player.
