It is the "boost the A-League has been crying out for" and there could be more to follow Keisuke Honda after the Japanese player’s decision to join Melbourne Victory for the new season, according to Ray Gatt of THE AUSTRALIAN. In a deal believed to be worth close to A$3M ($2.2M), the "highly credentialed" 32-year-old attacking midfielder signed a one-year marquee contract with the defending A-League champion that "clearly put the rest of the competition on notice." While Victory Chair Anthony Di Pietro would not go into the financial aspects, it is understood the club will "shell out" A$1.3M ($960,000), with Football Federation Australia "topping up the deal" with a further $1.4M ($1M) from its centralized marquee fund. There have been suggestions Sydney FC is "chasing" striker Samuel Eto’o, while Brisbane Roar has former AC Milan and Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini in its sights. A-League Head Greg O’Rourke confirmed the league has been working with clubs to "identify possible key signings and that there was still money available if the right player came along." He said, "We still have some money left in the fund so there is potential for clubs to find the right players" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/7). The ABC reported despite recent talk of Usain Bolt, Honda is "by far the more sensible choice for the league's credibility." Honda is "neither a gimmick, nor an ageing star looking for one last payday before retirement." At 32, Honda is "still in his prime and has plenty to offer" Melbourne and the A-League. Victory coach Kevin Muscat and Di Pietro both emphasized the "footballing aspect" of Honda's signing on Monday, but "there are also other factors at work." Muscat: "It's easy to get caught up, but the reality is that it was a football decision first." Di Pietro was "less circumspect," saying that the signing is a "significant vote of confidence" in the A-League and the sport as a whole. He said, "We want to take the game on as a club and the timing was perfect from an investment perspective." O'Rourke said, "It's tremendous to have Honda here in the A-League, a player with so much talent, international profile not just in Japan, but broader Asia and globally. Asia is our neighbor. It's fantastic we're taking this next step to bring Asia to the A-League" (ABC, 8/6).
