Reo Hatate Is only going to get Better! | 20 Minute Tims #292 | Celtic 3-0 Rangers

20 Minute Tims discussing how big an impact Reo Hatate has made since joining the club, and his performance vs Rangers.

20 Minute Tims are 3 match going fans producing a weekly Celtic podcast.

[dancorpx]

Hes been a special player already, cant wait to see how he links up with Kyogo.

[k-matsu]

This is what half-a-million J.League fans have been saying for a month. However, when you understand all the contributing circumstances, you will realise that this is mainly a testament to Ange, and his reputation with ALL the J.League clubs. Hatate (and Maeda, who also should be worth around 2M) was allowed to go to Celtic "cheap", for several reasons.

First, the J.League is trying very hard to boost its profile, and some of the top clubs also want to develop stronger ties in Europe (ManCity already owns a stake in Marinos). Clubs are willing to take "less than market value" if they think they will gain long-term publicity, and ties that lead to future deals. However, as so many have discovered the hard way, it isnt easy for a player to move to a new country and culture, and the support (or lack thereof) that they get from their team has a huge impact. Both for the player and for the selling club, there's little benefit if you end up on the reserves and wind up back in Japan after two wasted years (something that Ideguchi can relate to). The coaches and management at Frontale and Marinos know Ange well (Kawasaki is right next door to Yokohama). They not only recognise that his style of football is a good match for their players, but they also trust him to give the players the "off-field" support they need to succeed.

Added to this factor is the team situation at Frontale. Theyve just ended their peak phase of three titles in four years. Now key players are either retiring, or (if still young) looking abroad for other challenges. Theyve lost three other players to Europe (including Kaoru Mitoma, who incidentally is stuck in Belgium because Brighton were unable to get him a working visa) before Hatate, and I think they recognised that he was going to go, sooner or later. The publicity the team gains from having a half-dozen alumni playing in Europe is as big a factor as money, when it comes to convincing young players to join Frontale

Personally, I still think Hatate should have gone for over 2 million. But I understand the reasons why Celtic got such a steal.
BTW, you need to be cautious about saying things like "best player in the country". Hatate isnt even an NT prospect yet. He rode the bench or played out of position (left wingback) at Frontale until Mitoma and Tanaka moved overseas, a year ago. He's a solid prospect. But there are many more.