Nakamura set for Espanyol

Former Celtic star close to completing surprise move to Spain

By Francisco Acedo   Last updated: 17th June 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Nakamura set for Espanyol

Nakamura: Close to signing for Espanyol

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Former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura is on the verge of signing for Espanyol after both parties penned a pre-contract agreement.

The 30-year-old let his contract run down at Celtic Park last term and was expected to complete a free transfer switch to Japanese side Yokohama Marinos.

The midfielder had expressed a desire to spend the remainder of his career in his homeland after complaining of homesickness during the latter stages of his Hoops career.

However the Japanese international has taken a sensational U-turn and now looks set to reject the Marinos offer after being offered the challenge of playing in Spain.

"For Nakamura the challenge to be in La Liga is far superior than the money aspect in the other deals," the player's agent Roberto Tsukuda said.

Finalise the deal

Espanyol will finalise the deal once they have reached an agreement on the player's publicity rights, with sporting director Ramon Planes delighted with the capture.

"This business is excellent for two parts," he said. "Nakamura is a big footballer and the coach (Mauricio Pochettino) has accepted the arrival from the first moment."

The deal is set to be completed next week when both parties can sit down and sign the contract.

It would also give Espanyol time to finance the transfer with the club currently waiting for their share of the cash from the Spanish television deal.