Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino is ready to allow Shunsuke Nakamura to move back home to Japan.

The Japanese star left Celtic last summer and signed a two-year deal with Espanyol.

But things have not gone according to plan in Barcelona, and he is now set to leave.

The 31-year-old was the subject of a bid from Middlesbrough in January, but he shunned a chance to link-up with Gordon Strachan again.

Now reports suggest that he will move back to his native Japan on loan in time for the start of the J-League season in March.

"Nakamura is a big player, but his problem has been adapting to Spain," said Pochettino.

"Then he can also not communicate with his team-mates and because of this it has been hard for him to offer good performances."