How will the Manchester United brand transform Kagawa?

By Dominic Vieira, writing from London

Manchester United aren’t just a successful football club. From a wider perspective, they’ve sculpted themselves into a global brand since the 90s, equipped with an enviable, astronomically large fan base. According to Forbes, they’re listed as one of the most valuable sports clubs in the world… they’re HUGE. And this is a position they are masterfully exploiting without the merchandising power of Beckham, Messi, Ronaldo, or Neymar, who are probably the most influential footballers in the game at the moment, in terms of marketing.

But this can all change. As expected, Alex Ferguson reinforced his attacking line by signing the highly rated, versatile Shinji Kagawa in a deal worth around £17m. He’s a talent who very few seem to know much about on this island, but in Japan and Germany he’s become an omnipresent figure.

Interestingly, Kagawa arrived in Germany two years ago as a ‘nobody’ and for a price which can only be compared to peanuts. In addition, he was never a hero in the J-League, but a rising star for second division club Cerezo Osaka where he was scoring at a high rate. But wearing the yellow and black Borussia Dortmund colours, he exploded into an irreplaceable figure in a dominating side which conquered back-to-back Bundesliga titles during his 2 years. Oh, and don’t forget that he helped win the 2011 AFC Cup for his country.

There’s no doubt that the Bundesliga club will painfully miss their former number 23, but he’s moved to Manchester to transform into a superstar. Didn’t Cristiano do this?

Unlike Ronaldo, Kagawa will not be wearing the majestic, iconic, and historic number 7. A decision made by the player, as he underlined: “Since I am very new to the club, I have no intention to get a 'big’ number.” Instead, Kagawa’s request was granted and he will wear the number 26; although Ronaldo did originally ask Ferguson for number 28, which he used at Sporting.

Despite not sporting the infamous number 7, it does not diminish Kagawa’s chances of becoming a global star, it simply liberates pressure for him to perform. Antonio Valencia has inherited the honour, both a bold and deserved move, as he’s been a tireless soldier for the club.

However, Shinji has worn a mythical jersey before, whilst playing for Cerezo Osaka he received Hiroaki Morishima’s number 8 once he retired, which was a major honour and soon the pink shirts started selling rapidly; they can still be seen today.

The Japanese star will not only be a pioneering element on the field, but a useful and profitable marketing resource for both Manchester United and adidas who sponsor him; especially in the lucrative Asian market. It’s a frenzied fanatical world out there, when Berbatov went on tour with United for the first time in 2009, he compared the experience to being a worldwide rock star:

“It is crazy; it is like being in The Beatles!"

And now that Park Ji-Sung has left, the spotlight shines solely on 23 year old Shinji. Although he was signed for his talent, it’s expected that the club will unveil a mega marketing strategy for their new signing. Fortunately for his benefit, Kagawa doesn’t reside in Japan, which allows him to escape the hype which revolves around players of this calibre. The former Korean attacker stated that he’s unable to live in his country, "I can’t do everything I want.”

But is Shinji the right man to market? From a social media standpoint, he’s not officially on twitter, nor does his Facebook page have a massive following; but the potential certainly exists. Prior to the start of last season, Wesley Sneijder was the signing the fans demanded, including Paul Scholes. On a personal note, he would have been exceptional, both on the field and in terms of merchandising. But Kagawa, is young, hungry to win, a hard worker and does play a similar game to the Dutch mastermind.

Besides winning, a club like Manchester must continue to sell shirts. It’s no secret that the club don’t have the financial flexibility of its cross-city neighbours. But despite not possessing the same number of global names that were on the roster in earlier years, United will rely on the likes of Chicharito, Rooney, Ferdinand, and now Shinji to keep figures strong.

Despite all of the marketing potential there is to exploit with Kagawa, he wasn’t signed to sell shirts; he joined the club to be transformed into a star. Whether it’s selling thousands of shirts, promoting adidas, or increasing United’s brand presence in Asia or Japan… well that’s simply part of the package and part of modern day football.