Thailand's TNT media broke the news that Nguyen Quang Hai, known as Vietnam's "Lionel Messi", is expected to join Japanese soccer, joining the powerful Kashima Antlers.
Previously rumored to be in the Europa League, Nguyen Quang Hai seemed to have his heart set on joining Ligue 1's Nantes, with rumors even circulating that he was on the verge of joining them. However, Kashima Antlers became his most likely new home.
Compared to the Ligue 1 rumors, Nguyen Quang Hai's commitment to the Japanese league seems to make more sense. If he were to play in Europe, he might have to wait up to several months before he gets a chance to play. As the transfer window for Europe's top leagues is closed, even leagues such as Austria, Switzerland and Denmark will not reopen until early July. This means that the 25-year-old midfielder will face a four to five month break from now until the start of the new European season in early August.
Although Nguyen Quang Hai has yet to publicly reveal his future, the Vietnamese soccer superstar is likely to join Asia's top soccer scene. According to Thailand's TNT media, he is targeting Kashima Antlers, the strongest club in Japan with eight league titles, six league cups and five Emperor's Cups.
It is worth mentioning that Kashima Antlers have extended an olive branch to Nguyen Quang Hai. With the opening of the Japanese J-League and the transfer window deadline (March 25) passing, Nguyen Quang Hai will have to wait for the mid-season transfer window to open, which will be at the end of June at the earliest, if he wants to play for Kashima Antlers in the J-League this season.
