The Japanese international who was brought in over the potential he showcased as a young player, unfortunately, could not keep up with expectations at North London. Asano, therefore, was sent out Hannover to pick up more time on the pitch.
He featured here and there for the Germans this season, making 17 appearances in total and scoring 1 goal. He is still very much a substitute option who is in the final season of his contract with Arsenal as well.
The loan deal to the HDI Arena stated that past a certain number of games or minutes, Hannover will have to buy the player from Arsenal for a certain fee.
However, Die Roten are not too impressed with Asano to activate the clause. Instead, they have decided to not play at all for the remainder of the season in order to escape the agreement.
Arsenal are set to lose the 24-year-old for free this summer which could affect their strategy of raising more money in the upcoming transfer window. It is still unclear whether the Gunners will look to reprimand Hannover’s actions in any way.
See Also: Arsenal Transfer Players In & Out 2019: New Players Bought/Signed