FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

Japan’s superstar midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata has decided to play in the Spanish first division, possibly with Espanyol, after the World Cup finals, a sports daily reported Saturday. The 21-year-old Bellmare Hiratsuka playmaker will pick his new club in early July at the earliest before the start of pre-season training for European clubs, the Hochi Shimbun said.

“He has already made up his mind about going to Spain. No specific club name has been revealed but Barcelona-based Espanyol is seen most likely, “  the daily quoted inside sources as saying.

Nakata, who stunned Asian rivals with his precision passing in the qualifiers last year, was named player of the year earlier this month by the Asian Football Confederation.

He played in an All-Star match at the World Cup draw in Marseille last December, only seven months after he made his international debut in a friendly against South Korea. He has scored six points in 21 internationals.