Premier League club Tottenham have come to terms with Japanese star Kota Takai from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale according to numerous reports.
The deal is expected to be worth £5 million, with the 20 year old set to join the club next month. Takai has represented Japan internationally, and will reportedly join Thomas Frank’s first-team squad as they prepare for their preseason training in a few weeks time.
The centre-back made his international debut vs. China last September, and has played a key role in his club team’s 2024 Japanese Super Cup championship. He’s also taken home top honours as the country’s best young player previously as well.
Despite his young age, he will only turn 21 in September, Takai has captained his Japanese club team previously, and has taken on a regular leadership role in the locker room throughout 2025. With 2 goals to his credit in the J1 League, Takai will compete for a role on his new team alongside fellow centre-backs Cristian Romero, Micky van de Van, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin.
The Yokohama-born defender can play on either the left or right side of a duo, and isn’t expected to be loaned out. That being said, the newest Hotspur will be carefully scrutinized in his upcoming training camp to determine how large of a role he will have in the upcoming Premier League season.
Tottenham is looking to rebound after a dreadful 2024-25 campaign which saw them narrowly stave off relegation.
Photo: Kilyann Le Hen. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.