It is probably the last thing Keisuke Honda needed to hear. After receiving very little game time at AC Milan so far this season, his employers have recently been linked to signing Kevin-Prince Boateng, a player of similar attributes to the Japanese playmaker.
Boateng, a technically gifted and versatile midfielder, has already worn the red and black of Milan having spent three relatively productive seasons with the club between 2010 and 2013.
During his time at the San Siro, he made his presence felt on the pitch by scoring goals both important in nature and sublime in craft. He was with the club in the headier times of the 2011 Scudetto andSupercoppa triumphs and is fondly remembered by Milanisti.
Boateng departed for Schalke in the summer of 2013, but after being suspended by the German side towards the end of last season and having not yet appeared for them in the current campaign, he is reportedly closing in on a move back to Milan.
His agent Federico Pastorello told MilanNews (h/t Goal) that the player may join in January having been training with the club for several months, saying:
"We have taken an important first step and now we look to end the agreement with Schalke in the next few days…Once that is done, we will find an agreement with Milan. (Sinisa Mihajlovic) has confirmed that he wants him and that was the most important thing—to have the okay from the coach, who had to make a decision."
The likelihood of Boateng joining Milan increased on Tuesday afternoon when Schalke reported on their official website (h/t Goal) that his contract with the club had been terminated by mutual consent.
If the rumours are true, this would not be good news for Honda who—at 29 years old and with his contract set to expire at the conclusion of next season, per Transfermarkt—is fast running out of time at Milan.
Honda has failed to impress Mihajlovic since the Serbian was appointed head coach in the summer, making just four starts and accumulating a mere 313 minutes of action, per WhoScored.com.
Mihajlovic could not have made his views on the player any clearer when completely ignoring him during Milan’s dismal 0-0 draw with Carpi last Sunday.
In a match where Milan were craving ingenuity to break through a staunch defence, as discussed in this recent post, Mihajlovic left Honda on the bench. It was a quietly scathing decision that seemed to further validate the notion that Honda’s days with the club are numbered.
Despite such negative signals, Honda is refusing to give up without a fight. He told Nikkan Sports (h/t Sky Sports): “I will tell you one thing clearly: I won’t leave Milan of my own accord…and unless they tell me they don’t want me, I’m going nowhere. I won’t run away.”
His words are noble, but unfortunately the list of reasons for him not to stay is becoming conspicuously long.
As well as the fact he hasn’t started a league game for over two months, Milan are now playing a 4-4-2 formation that doesn’t truly suit him as an advanced central playmaker who prefers playing behind the strikers.
Furthermore, if Milan are in need of a player for that role, they are far more likely to turn to Giacomo Bonaventura, who has been the team’s best performer this season, according to WhoScored.
It's also worth factoring in Jeremy Menez's return from injury in 2016. The Frenchman was the team's top scorer last season and naturally prefers to play in an attacking-midfield role.
On top of all the aforementioned issues, Boateng’s signature could be the final nail in Honda’s Milan coffin. The Ghana international, like Honda, is a trequartista by trade and his arrival would push the Japanese player further down the pecking order.
Essentially, with Bonaventura's form, Boateng’s return and Menez’s recovery, Honda could become the fourth-choice player in a position that doesn’t even exist in Milan’s current system of preference.
In short, Honda’s future with Milan appears bleak and—if Boateng does end up joining in January—he may want to start considering his own next career destination.