The silly season indeed

The former Santos FC schemer is Nagoya's second major foreign signing in as many days, after the club announced that they had signed Serbian defender Milos Bajalica from, surprise, surprise, Red Star Belgrade. Nagoya's new coach is of course ex-Red Star President and former Nagoya legend Dragan Stojkovic.

Magnum's decision to sign for Nagoya was probably prompted by (apart from a shiny new Toyota) Kawasaki's decision to recall from loan Brazilian striker Hulk. The aptly-named Hulk has scored an astonishing 62 goals in two seasons in J2 - for two different clubs! He scored a leisurely 25 goals in 38 leagues games for Consadole Sapporo, before firing Tokyo Verdy back to the top flight with 37 goals in 42 league games last season.

Kawasaki have justifiably come to the realisation that those are numbers they can no longer ignore, with Frontale's strikerforce set to take on utterly frightening proportions. They already possess last-season's top-scorer in J1 in Juninho, not to mention the bullocking Chong Te-Se. What price ex-Japan international Kazuki Ganaha starts afresh elsewhere? He should give disgruntled Gamba Osaka striker Ryuji Bando a call... they could jet off into the sunset together.

Speaking of Gamba, they've replaced their old and slow Brazilian defender Sidiclei with another seemingly old (and possibly slow) defender called Mineiro, last of Internacional. The bigger news was they that they lured ex-Stade Rennais striker Lucas Severino over from FC Tokyo - hardly what the seemingly out-of-favour Ryuji Bando was hoping for. They'll also be loaning out their talented youngster Akihiro Ienaga - my question is, who will sign a player whose only capability appears to be putting the ball into Row F every time he touches it? (Answer: Gamba - Akira Kaji).

Perhaps the most amusing news, at least for those of us who are not JEF United fans, was first posted a couple of days ago over at the F2FF (From the 2nd Floor of Fukuari) blog.

According to F2FF, Hiroki Mizumoto, Koki Mizuno, Yuto Sato, Naotake Hanyu, Satoru Yamagishi and Seiichiro Maki could all be headed for the exit door in Chiba. That might cut into United's calendar sales somewhat, since all six grace the cover of the 2008 version! On a more serious note, if even half of those players leave then United will once again be battling against the drop.

For the record, the goal-shy Maki looks bound for Omiya Ardija (he's just the type of player that Omiya love to sign... a striker who never scores). Japan internationals Yamagishi and Hanyu look set to join rival clubs in the Kanto region, while Scottish giants Celtic are rumoured to have made an approach for Koki Mizuno. Hiroki Mizumoto looks set to head for just about anywhere that will take him... I say we have a whip around here in Shimizu and try and lure him to Nihondaira Stadium!

Yuto Sato has apparently signed for newly promoted Kyoto Sanga FC, where he'll be joined by ex-Kashima striker Atsushi Yanagisawa. Down the road Vissel Kobe have pulled off a bit of a coup by signing Korean enfant terrible Kim Nam-Il. I wonder if that will get the fans back into Kobe Wing Stadium? (Probably not). Just about every club in the J-League is lining up to strip Sanfrecce Hiroshima of their highly-talented assets, although the whereabouts of Japan internationals Hisato Sato and Yuichi Komano for next season has still not been definitively decided.

Phew, all that and we're just a week in to the silly season! No doubt there'll be much more to come.