Both are Japanese and both are objects of mystery. Keisuke Honda and Yuto Nagatomo are not only friends and companions of the national team, they are two of the biggest question marks at Milan and Inter respectively. The former CSKA Moscow man has finished behind Susio in the rossoneri hierarchy whilst Nagatomo has become third choice for Frank de Boer after Ansaldi and Santon.
 

Both players have been linked with possible moves to the Premier League and Bundesliga but the team that have made the most concrete steps are Jiangsu Suning, despite recent denials by the club. The Chinese Super-League side has not submitted official any official bids but contact has been made with representatives of both men who are desperate for more first-team action. Taking both players would make sporting and commercial sense to the Suning brand which owns 68% of the shares in Inter. The Chinese giant in household appliances, electronics, informatics and telephony, are looking to expand in the notoriously difficult Japanese market and signing two players of this calibre could certainly help.

By Federico Zanon. Translated by Steve Mitchell