ContinueThe protracted move to take Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa to Manchester United could be under threat, after an issue emerged over a work permit for the player.
Borussia Dortmund director Michael Zorc has confirmed that a fee has been agreed for the player, but conceded that there were only minor issues standing in the way of completing the move.
According to reports on ESPN Star, the refuted £16.7 million deal for the Japanese attacker have hit a snag, with Kagawa not fulfilling the strict criteria set out by the Football Association.
FA rulings dictate that a player must have played at least 75% of his country’s “A” fixtures, two years prior to the permit application.
Kagawa’s failure to make Japan’s squad for the 2010 World Cup, means that he falls short of that mark.
However, Manchester United will be allowed to appeal the decision and will be hoping for special dispensation for the player on the grounds of “exception talent”.
It is a situation similar to that which Arsenal found themselves in with young attacker Ryo Miyaichi, who was eventually granted a permit on those grounds.
