In the past few weeks Chelsea FC has been linked to Japanese superstar Yoshinori Muto. The rumors began to swirl largely because of Chelsea’s new Japanese shirt sponsor Yokohama but have gained legitimacy in recent weeks. The company likely wants a Japanese face to place on their promotional and marketing material and the Blues currently do not have any Asian players in the squad.

Muto currently plays for FC Tokyo where he has been a senior member of the squad only since 2013. The 22-year-old forward was the subject of a bid from Chelsea just a few weeks ago which was confirmed by the club’s president. A move to Chelsea would normally be a dream for many of the world young footballers, but things have changed due to the change in the Blues’ transfer policy.

According to the Daily Mail, Muto is unsure of whether the move is right for him. He said, “I want to think about my destination carefully. Where can I go to develop? A team that suits me, where I can play and develop. I’m thinking about that, and for now I just want to take my time and think it through”.

The issue is of course that Chelsea’s recent transfer policy includes buying up a great deal of young talent from around the world, loaning them out, and then selling them to the highest bidder. It is a fantastic policy for the finances of the club but it does not always work out in favor of the players. Some players can get lost in the loan system and never truly find a home and their careers suffer.

In Yoshinori Muto’s case, he is just beginning to impose himself on the Japanese JLeague with 17 goals in 39 appearances and is beginning to receive international call ups. He has made 11 senior appearances for Japan and undoubtedly wants to continue on that career path so a move to Chelsea and a subsequent loan may not be ideal at this point in his career. International managers want their players to play regularly and he may not get that chance if a loan move goes awry.

Also, if Yokohama is so insistent on Chelsea having an Asian player in the squad, then having him go out on loan defeats the purpose of signing him. What good will signing the youngster do for Yokohama if he is spending the season playing in another team’s shirt? This of course raises the question of how much control a sponsor should have over the club it sponsors.

Yokohama is paying Chelsea the big bucks for the privilege of having their name on the front of the shirt but how much control should they receive over the names on the back of it?Yoshinori Muto may very well be an excellent young player who could do good things at Chelsea but could that money be spent more wisely elsewhere? If Yokohama is paying £40 million every year then perhaps they should be allowed some input on the players but that simply opens another can of worms.

The influence of corporate sponsors is growing in modern football with some even claiming that sponsors could dictate and fund future transfers for big-time players such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. That is not to say that a move for Yoshimoto is only motivated by the needs of Yokohama, but the link is too obvious to ignore.

How far will Chelsea FC let their new shirt sponsor go and how much control will they give them? Only time will tell but this move could be an ominous sign of things to come if it comes to fruition and Muto is given a place in the first team next season.