Yoshinori Muto. Those guys at Yokohama Tyres actually know a little bit about the game, hey Jose?

It's wrong to say the former Chelsea manager rejected Muto, but he wasn't exactly bursting with enthusiasm when the prospect of signing the then FC Tokyo striker was put to him.

"That's modern football. That's modern management. You cannot close completely the door to commercial interests," Mourinho said at the end of last season.

Just over six months on and Muto has not only proved himself up to the job in the Bundesliga with Mainz, but he's being linked with Manchester United - and on the recommendation of Sir Alex Ferguson, no less.

The impact at Mainz is a triumph for good career planning. No matter Mourinho's opinion, Chelsea were willing to meet FC Tokyo's asking price and bring the 23 year-old to London this season. Or, that is, at least for preseason, as in all likelihood Muto would've been among the two teams of XI out on-loan this campaign.

"Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It would have been difficult to force my way through there," recalled Muto, who was soon being charmed by Mainz sports chief Christian Heidel.

Having agreed to sell Shinji Okazaki to Leicester City, Heidel chose to return to Japan to find a replacement. And by being prepared to meet with Muto on his own turf, Heidel was able to convince the Japanese that Mainz was the best place to launch his European career.

"Flying in from Germany, that really touched me," Muto says of Heidel's visit. "He convinced me Mainz really needed me. They needed a player of my qualities. That was important."

With the Bundesliga now in winter recess, Muto will be feeling justified in his choice. Seven goals and five assists, including several matchwinning performances, has quickly established Muto as a genuine 'Mainzer' and a fans' favourite.

"Yoshi has done well," says Heidel, reflecting on the results of his bargain €2.4 million investment, "but I'm convinced there's much more to come from him."

After the success of Okazaki, Harald Strutz, the Mainz president, knows they have another potential big money asset on their hands: "Christian Heidel has once again proven his canniness (in the transfer market)." However, Heidel is eager for Muto not to become distracted.

"I don't want to hype up the boy too much. We all know his potential. But he is a player still in development."

Driving that development is Martin Schmidt, Mainz's charismatic Swiss coach. By his own admission, he sees a lot of himself in Muto and the pair's strong bond was on full display after the striker's brace against Hannover.

Schmidt substituted Muto with three minutes left, allowing the Japanese to take in a standing ovation from the home support. And on the touchline, there wasn't a handshake or embrace between the pair. Instead, Schmidt gave Muto a traditional Japanese bow for a job well done.

"That was kind of fun because Yoshi does that often in training," smiles Schmidt. "But, it was also a homage, my thanks for his game!

"When you see that he scored two and had a hand in the third, you need to recognise that. He deserved it."

Mainz is Schmidt's first coaching job in the Bundesliga, having been promoted from the reserve team in February. Like Muto, he's been thrown into the deep - and thrived.

"When I talk about Yoshi, I see myself in there somewhere too," says the Swiss.

"On this road, there are highs and lows. The positives outweigh the negatives. I am happy with how he's going."

Making Muto's progress all the more remarkable is that back home in Japan, he wasn't always regarded as a natural striker.

"I've played as a centre forward for the last two years," he says.

"My role model is Luis Suarez, especially his instinct, as he often makes his own goals.

"I'm here to work hard. I want to prove myself a good Bundesliga player.

"I think I'm showing my strengths. My speed and agility. It's working well."

For now, Mainz have no intention of selling - and have already relayed that message to United. With Muto tied until 2019, there's a confidence inside the club that he'll remain grounded no matter how crazy the hype around him becomes.

His reaction after scoring a superb hat-trick in the 3-3 draw with Augsburg enough to convince directors Muto won't get carried away.

"It would have been better if I had scored four goals and we had picked up three points," he said at the final whistle.

"I'm still not satisfied. I want to develop myself here."