Where Next for Keisuke?

The European transfer window looks likely to see former Grampus midfielder, Keisuke Honda move on from VVV Venlo. From a football viewpoint, another year or two at VVV, where he is an established key player, playing in the Dutch top division is probably his best option. Helping them establish themselves in the top division, something he failed to do in his first season, would be impressive. However, it also runs the risk of seeing his value diminish, if VVV prove to be not quite good enough.

However, staying with VVV would probably mean extending his contract, and other clubs are likely to offer more lucrative offers. He and his agent will have to weight the balance of these offers carefully. A Japanese club may be fooled by his MVP performance in a weak league (even some of the teams in the top division are weaker then many J1 teams), but a move to a European club means he would likely have to prove himself all over again. Certainly if he were to move to one of the more famous clubs, such as PSV or Ajax, he would not be guaranteed regular playing time until he has established himself in the team. If he wants to be sure of place in Japan's World Cup squad for next year, he will have to choose carefully.