Talented Asian players suddenly in big demand from European soccer clubs

European soccer clubs seek talented Asian players

SEOUL, South Korea — Manchester United has a not-so-secret weapon to win over fans in its preseason tour of Asia — the continent’s star, Park Ji-sung.

The South Korean star’s exploits have not only made him a household name to soccer fans, they have helped strengthen the Premier League champion’s status as the most popular club in Asia.

Not all stars from the east are as successful as Park, or play for such a prestigious club, but that doesn’t stop many European clubs searching for the holy grail — an Asian player who can make a valuable contribution on the field, and make a commercial impact off it.

It is the big clubs that benefit most from signing Asian players. On the back of Park, Manchester United has seen Koreans snap up 1.2 million club credit cards and there are an estimated six million United fans on the Peninsula, south of the 38th Parallel.

When news emerged of the three-time European champion’s plans to play an exhibition at Seoul, some 20,000 tickets were sold within the first hour — and 44,000 more quickly followed.

Scottish powerhouse Celtic recouped much of the $4.1 million spent on Shunsuke Nakamura through owning the Japanese star’s image rights and watching its profile soar in Japan.

Perhaps the hottest Asian property is a player tipped to follow in Park’s footsteps to PSV Eindhoven. South Korea’s Ki Sung-yong, 20, is already an established international player and is being tracked by clubs all over Europe.

Dubbed “Korea’s Gerrard,” Ki’s progress has been monitored by European sides FC Porto and Hamburg, and last week Dutch giant PSV Eindhoven was linked to the tall midfielder.

Seoul media reported that Ki’s agent was about to start talks with the 1988 European champion, although Ki claimed that there was no basis to the story.

“I don’t know anything about any transfer,” he said. “There are lots of stories around, but at the moment I am just focused on FC Seoul and doing my best for them.”

Ki has made it clear that he wants to play in England and it is only a matter of time before he does. Young, good-looking and extremely talented, he has the potential to be a huge star.

So does FC Seoul and South Korea teammate Lee Chung-yong. The right-side midfielder has attracted interest from Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic among a host of English clubs.

Farther east, Japan also has a wealth of young talent, but Shinji Kagawa has been getting more attention than most. And like his famous compatriot Shunsuke Nakamura, who has just signed for Espanyol, Kagawa could be heading to Spain.

Still only 20, he has made eight appearances for Japan, prompting Barcelona and Real Madrid to extend invitations for him to travel to Spain and practice.

“The Spanish league is my favorite. The attacking mentality suits my style,” Kagawa said recently. “My dream is to play in the Champions League one day, so this is a great opportunity.”

Just like FC Seoul, Kagawa’s club has pledged to support him if the right deal comes along.

“We will definitely consider any offers that we believe will benefit him,” Cerezo Osaka president Nobuyoshi Fujita said. “It is a dream of his to play overseas. He has our full support.”