Besiktas tried to sign Shinji Kagawa

The Black Eagles tried to sign Japanese star Kagawa this summer, the club’s president revealed.

Besiktas club president Fikret Orman revealed their interest in Japan international Shinji Kagawa during a press conference today.

The Super Lig club made official inquiries for his transfer from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer but the player was unwilling to leave Germany, according to Orman.

“We were interested in a very important Japanese player this summer, Shinji Kagawa. The player didn’t want to leave Germany for family reasons, however. He was a transfer we wanted to make. We hope in the future to see Japanese players in our team,” he explained during a press conference today.

The revelation was made during the club’s press conference at Vodafone Park to announce their partnership with Japanese media company Mainichi-Sponichi Group.

The club’s president said he plans to expand Besiktas’ brand to the Far East, particularly in Japan.

“We will open social media accounts in Japan and manage them together. They will be used to reach more people. We will prepare Besiktas content. The club will be the representative in Japan. We will start with the Far East and produce commercial income projects in the future,” he explained.

This is the first time a Turkish club forays into the Far East market. The club’s president has said for the last couple of years his dream is to see Turkish football make gains in the Far East region in order to attract even more fans.