The Japanese star has still not set foot in the Premier League after refusing to consider a move to Hull City.
AC Milan attacker Keisuke Honda turned down the chance to join Hull City on deadline day, Calciomercato reports, in a deal that would surely have provided a huge boost to their survival hopes.
The Japanese international, who exploded onto the scene with a sequence of impressive performances and sublime goals at the 2010 World Cup, albeit aided by the infamously unpredictable Jabulani ball, has struggled for game time at the San Siro and was expected to leave in the New Year.
In fact, the 30-year-old has fallen so far down the pecking order under new coach Vincenzo Montella that he has featured in just 96 minutes of Serie A action all season, meaning it is a huge surprise that he remains with the Rossineri beyond January.
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Nonetheless, Honda remains a supremely gifted talent, his wand of a right boot helping him to seven league goals just last season and Calciomercato report that he was handed the ideal opportunity to escape from his Milanese nightmare.
However, the attacking midfielder turned down the opportunity to aid Hull’s Premier League survival bid although the blow has been softened by the signing of hard-working Polish winger Kamil Grosicki.
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Yet, the departure of Robert Snodgrass to West Ham earlier in the window robbed Hull of their set-piece master and Honda, who has earned a reputation as something of a specialist with a dead ball at his feet, could have been the ideal replacement for Marco Silva.
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