DEPARTING BARCELONA STAR Andres Iniesta will be heading for Japan’s J-League rather than the Chinese Super League as first mooted, per reports in Spain.
The 33-year-old all-timer is set to join Vissel Kobe as first reported by Cadena Ser yesterday, and as further confirmed to ESPN’s Jordi Blanco by several sources.
Blanco writes that the World Cup winner will sign a three-year deal worth almost €76million, or €25.3m per annum.
Hiroshi Mikitani, the owner of Vissel Kobe, is also the CEO of Barcelona’s main sponsor, Rakuten.
The news of the Spanish international’s move to Japan came mere hours after Chinese Super League outfit Chongqing Lifan released a statement indicating that to Iniesta’s salary in a league which imposes a salary cap on its clubs would not ‘adhere to rational investment’.
Traditionally a mid-table club, Vissel Kobe are currently captained by former Arsenal and Germany forward Lukas Podolski.
