Barcelona: Andrés Iniesta joins Vissel Kobe on a three-year deal

Andrés Iniesta will join a long list of Barcelona luminaries to go to Japan.

Rakuten has announced that it has successfully mediated in negotiations between Andrés Iniesta and Vissel Kobe. The announcement comes after weeks of press speculation following the publication of Iniesta’s decision to leave the club.

The deal will feature no principal transfer fee, as a clause in Iniesta’s contract at Barça permitted him to terminate his deal at any time. But indirectly, Barcelona will benefit since Vissel Kobe is owned by Rakuten.

Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani played a very important part in the negotiations. He must have built a good relationship with Andrés Iniesta after securing a shirt sponsorship deal with Barcelona for his company.

Iniesta will sign a three-year deal at Vissel Kobe, starting from the 2018 J1 League season. The 34-year playmaker will be earning roughly $30 million a year. He is Vissel’s second marquee signing in recent years, after having signed German superstar Lukas Podolski last season.

"In the press conference where Iniesta’s signing was announced, Rakuten CEO Mikitani said, “I am thrilled to announce today that Andres Iniesta will join Vissel Kobe and support us in our goal to become the best football team in Asia.More from Everything BarcaFC Barcelona tracking Belgian WonderkidFC Barcelona vs Betis Player RatingsBarça boss Xavi to get contract extensionFC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielderBarcelona interested in €30 million wonderkidBy giving both fans and players the opportunity to see Iniesta’s world-class play style and technique, we believe his decision to come to Japan will have a major impact on not just Vissel Kobe, but on football in Japan and across Asia.”"

Although Andrés Iniesta has to be very sad after having left his boyhood club, he has good things to look forward to in Japan. There is a huge financial aspect to this deal, with his wine company Bodega Iniesta expected to gain popularity in Japan.

"He said, “I want to help not just my new club but the whole J-League grow throughout Asia.I was lucky enough to receive several proposals from different clubs… I chose Vissel Kobe because it seemed like an extremely interesting project for me, as well as because of the trust they had in me as a player, as a person to do well for the club.”"

At this point in his career, this is not the best move for Iniesta’s career. Despite being 34, he has shown no signs of deterioration. He would have stayed in the Barcelona first-team for at least another season.

Next: Should Barcelona keep Paco Alcacer?

Future at Barcelona?

Hopefully he returns to the club in a different capacity. Xavi has already begun a coaching course, and its good that Iniesta would follow. They are the next in line to develop Barcelona’s style in the way that Pep Guardiola built on Johan Cruyff’s ideas. However, it could be a long while before either of them or players in the current generation become Barcelona manager; the board is unlikely to take a risk on them until they have years of experience unlike Joan Laporta did with Guardiola.