Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez reveals why summer-signing Yoshinori Muto isn’t playing – because he doesn’t speak English
RAFA BENITEZ has revealed the real reason why Yoshinori Muto is not playing for Newcastle... he barely understands a word of English!
The Japanese international, 26, was the Toon’s most expensive summer signing after joining from Mainz in a £9.5million deal.
But he has not started a Premier League match and has had just 86 minutes of top-flight action with Benitez previously suggesting it will take time for Muto to adapt to the English game.
Yet the Newcastle boss has now opened up on the language barrier which is holding his forward back.
Ahead of tonight’s trip to Manchester United, Benitez said: “His English is not as good as we were expecting.
“The good thing that he has is that he’s always smiling.
“But the other day I was asking him some questions and he was smiling and saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes’ and he didn’t understand anything.
“Then you have to explain things to him slowly. You have to do some movements that he will understand, then you go to the videos and you analyse all these things.
“Each player and person is different. He will improve and he will improve his English and also in knowing his team-mates.
“The movement of his team-mates around him, he needs to know and he needs to be able to communicate. But he is getting better.”
