Birmingham City summer signing tipped for St Andrew's exit already - 'I can definitely see him going' | OneFootball

Kanya Fujimoto does not appear to be in Chris Davies’ plans as things stand

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Birmingham City attacker Kanya Fujimoto has not had an easy introduction to English football.

He was signed by the promoted side in the summer on a free transfer after his terms at Portuguese side Gil Vicente expired.

The Japanese playmaker managed five goals and six assists in his last season there, but so far has been reduced to a single minute in the Championship with Birmingham this season, and one half against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.

We asked our Birmingham fan pundit, Jason Moore, whether he’s surprised at the lack of chances the player has been afforded, and whether a loan or permanent move could be on the cards as soon as January.

Kanya Fujimoto has struggled with the transition to English football

Speaking to Football League World, Jason said: “I’m surprised by how little he's played, but to be fair to Chris Davies, when he has played – granted, it's very, very small amount of time, and yes, he's got to adapt to English football – but when he's played, he's looked so lightweight.

“And it's just the way Chris Davies manages, he's not going to risk someone playing in his system until he's 100 per cent confident with them.

“I think he'll get his chance, but Chris Davies is not going to give him a chance for the sake of giving him a chance.

“He's openly said that he's doing well in training and stuff like that, but if he's not taking on board what Chris Davies wants, he just isn't going to play. And to be fair, that was the same for Tommy Doyle up until recently.

“So, I think he's just going to bide his time, keep doing what he's doing, and if he's good enough, Chris Davies will play him; it's as simple as that. And if he's not, then yeah, he won't play.

“I do feel sorry for the bloke, but it comes off what he's doing, but for me, there's got to be something Chris Davies is seeing for him not to play.

“So, yeah, feel for him, but that’s football, unfortunately, and yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone in January.

“If he's not going to be playing, he just gets his wages off our books as well, doesn't it?

“So, yeah, I feel sorry for him, but it is what it is, and yeah, I can definitely see him going.”

Birmingham City misstep shows disparities between the English and Portuguese game

Fujimoto’s transfer is the latest example of how the disparities between the English game and that of the lower reaches of Europe’s top leagues can throw up struggles for players involved in transfers.

One key example at the top of the game is Viktor Gyokeres, who scored an incredible 54 goals and provided 13 assists in just 52 games for Sporting last term.

That earned him a move to Arsenal, widely regarded as England’s best team at present, and has managed just six goals in 14 outings, still strong numbers, but nowhere near the unstoppable force he looked in Portugal. He’s looked sluggish at times as he adjusts to the increased pace in England.

The same plight appears to be affecting Fuijmoto, in a much more significant way, and as unfortunate as it is, it may just be the case that he isn’t of the quality required for the English second tier, as looks can be deceiving in Portugal with the standard of teams at the lower reaches of Liga Portugal; a factor that also took Ruben Amorim some time to get used to at Manchester United, who was shocked at the level throughout the league, having moved from managing Sporting.

Fujimoto arrived on a free transfer, so the move could simply be labelled a risk that hasn’t borne fruit, but the Japanese player’s wages are significant.

According to Capology, he is estimated to be earning £17,500 per week at Birmingham, making him the joint-fifth highest earner in the squad, pulling in more than the likes of Seung-Ho Paik (£15,000) and Jay Stansfield (£12,500).

Fujimoto is just months into a three-year deal, so if Davies doesn’t find a way to get him firing, Birmingham will encounter plenty of issues in moving him on.