Gael Kakuta: From China to Spain
Despite being only 25 years old, Gael Kakuta has become a true globetrotter in the world of football. A well-known figure in La Liga due to his time at Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla, the talented French winger is back in Spain after Deportivo de la Coruña secured his loan move from the Chinese side Hebei Fortune. In an interview with Fichajes.com, Kakuta discusses his arrival in Galicia from Asia, admitting that "There were several players who had the opportunity to leave Hebei Fortune, so I took the chance to return to Spain (...) It was the first concrete offer and the one that suited me the most. It is the league that suits me the best and I wanted to return to La Liga."
Furthermore, the player praises the Galician team, stating that "It is a club with a great history. I wouldn't play just anywhere. It is a team that likes to play with the ball, very offensive, and that suits me. The coach showed a great interest in having me come, which is also important. So I didn't hesitate and I don't regret my choice." He also expresses his desire to have more continuity at a club, although it is difficult at the moment. "Yes, exactly. I want to be in one place for several years, gain stability, and develop my football. However, for now, I still belong to Hebei and I can't talk too much about it," he highlights.
A 70% pay cut to play in Vallecas
Kakuta also reflects on his previous time in La Liga. It all started in Vallecas under the guidance of Paco Jémez, for which he didn't hesitate to sacrifice a large part of his salary. "I was on several loan spells until I arrived at Rayo Vallecano. What nobody knows is that I had to reduce my salary by 70% to go to Rayo. Otherwise, I would still be in Chelsea's reserve team or they would send me to a club where I didn't want to go and that didn't suit my style of play. In the end, I lowered my salary in this way and it worked out well at Rayo Vallecano, as I had a good season. That's why Sevilla bought me," the player highlights before delving into his difficult time in the capital of Andalusia.
"I could have gone to other clubs that offered me more than Sevilla, but I focused on the sport (...) However, not everything went as I wanted. That's why, as soon as I had the offer from China, I didn't hesitate at all," he says before adding, "Upon arriving in Seville, I saw that the style of play didn't suit me. It was a defensive team. And every time I have been in a team like that, things haven't gone well for me." He also remarks, "If they had treated me differently, I would have stayed and fought for a place, that's normal. I didn't expect to play just because, I knew I would have to fight for a spot. But there were too many things, I won't go into details, that made it impossible for me to stay there."
Nevertheless, the player doesn't express any friction with Unai Emery and explains, "I have no problem with him. He has a way of working that doesn't match mine. I defined a personal physical program with my trainer to be fit and in shape all the time. They didn't like my way of working and I don't see why I should change. I didn't say I didn't want to train, I trained hard every day. It's just that there were strength exercises that I refused to do because they could injure me. If I'm powerful and fast, why work in a way that could injure me? It's a method that was imposed on me and didn't suit me. I politely said that I didn't like working that way and they sidelined me. It was impossible to go back. I found myself in a strange situation." "It was tough. I made a lot of sacrifices to reach that level again. Then that happened... For me, it was impossible to stay there. I made great financial sacrifices," he adds. Finally, when asked about the team he enjoyed the most, the former Chelsea player is clear: "Rayo Vallecano. The coach had a big part in it. We were fully charged every weekend with impressive fans."