Leeds United were strongly linked with Yuta Toyokawa earlier this year.
Leeds United have cast their net far and wide for new signings since Victor Orta’s arrival as director football, with expansion in the Far East targeted last season.
Leeds brought in Toshiya Fujita to oversee their development in Asia, and he allegedly pushed for the signing of midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi in January of this year.
The youngster didn’t have a work permit so spent time with Cultural Leonesa and Greuther Furth, but is now injured, and having lost his place in the Japan national team for the World Cup in Russia, his move hasn’t exactly panned out as he’d have hoped.
Another Japanese player was linked with Leeds in a bizarre situation, as KAS Eupen claimed that they had signed striker Yuta Toyokawa from Leeds on loan, after the Whites had purchased him from Kashima Antlers.
Leeds subsequently denied signing Toyokawa, and he ended up becoming a permanent KAS Eupen player, leaving Leeds fans baffled over the club’s involvement in his move – especially as Leeds director Ivan Bravo has ties to the Aspire Academy in Qatar, which has strong links to KAS Eupen.
It’s all a bit ‘wheels within wheels’, but almost a year on from the start of this baffling situation, how is 24-year-old Toyokawa faring in Belgium – and should Leeds monitor him after all?
Toyokawa had a dream start with the club last season, hitting seven goals in 12 games to make some Leeds fans wonder whether he should have been signed by the Whites anyway, but he has dipped a little this term with three goals in 14 appearances.
We may never know just what involvement Leeds had in Toyokawa’s move to KAS Eupen, and whether Fujita put his name forward for a move to Elland Road, but at this stage, it doesn’t look like the Whites are missing out on much.
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