CSKA offer Honda pay increase

CSKA Moscow will reportedly offer Keisuke Honda a new long-term deal before he becomes a free agent after the 2012-13 season.

After coming close selling the midfielder to Lazio, the Russian club are considering a renegotiation that would see the Japan international’s yearly salary increase by 50 percent to three million euros.

“In the last year, Lazio were the only team seriously interested in Honda,” agent Kees Ploegsma told Corriere dello Sport.

“We couldn’t work out the transfer this winter, but let’s see what happens in June. Up until then, (Honda) remains a CSKA player.”

Club director Roman Babaev claimed after the deal fell through that Lazio had offered 10 million euros for Honda, well short of the Moscow side’s 13 million euro valuation.

After coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid in the Champions League recently, and starting against Zenit in the Russian Premier League, the 25-year-old appears ready to dedicate himself to his club, despite having expressed interest in an Italy move last month.

“If moaning about it would get me a move I would have a moan,” Honda told Reuters in early February. “But I know how important it is for me to focus on the things I need to do now.”

Honda has also previously been linked to clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain.