Another Japanese Premier Leaguer will be born.

"Yukinari Sugawara will join Southampton from AZ Alkmaar," Fabrizio Romano, an expert on the European soccer transfer market, said on his SNS account on the 10th (Korea time). "He will undergo a medical examination in Southampton today. Sugawara will sign the contract later today."

"Southampton will pay up to 7 million euros (about 10.4 billion won) for Sugawara and an amount with a bonus clause," he added, chanting "Here we go" to add when the transfer is imminent.

He is from Japan. Born in 2000, he is a promising fullback who is highly anticipated in Japan along with Hiroki Ito, who recently moved to Bayern Munich. As a Japanese player, he possesses delicate foot skills and demonstrates basic skills. By precisely kicking, he crosses from the sides to create opportunities and accumulates attack points.

He played as a top defender in the Netherlands. Debuting for the Nagoya Grampus in the 2018 season, he stepped into the European leagues for the first time on his way to AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2019. Joining the club on loan in the 2019-20 season, he received an opportunity to travel between the reserves and the first team, and made a full transfer ahead of the 2020-21 season. Increasingly, he scored two goals and one assist in 25 matches in the Eredivisie and made his UEFA Champions League debut.

He has become a regular starting player. In the 2021-22 season, he scored one goal and six assists in all 50 official matches, and in the 2022-23 season, he scored four goals and 10 assists in 47 matches, achieving double-digit offensive points. His strong performance during this period contributed to his team's achievement by ranking fourth in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).

His skills were in full swing last season. Sugawara led the club to the finals in the UECL playoffs and was named the Eredivisie Team of the Month for the third consecutive month after the opening. Having also been to the 2023 Asian Cup, he scored four goals and eight assists in all 42 official matches, and was named the Eredivisie Team of the Year in the 2023-24 season.  토토사이트 순위

Sugawara was linked to a number of clubs with high performance. Rumors of a transfer to Fulham emerged ahead of last season, and this summer, Inter Milan, Brighton and Hove Albion, Wolfsburg and Atalanta showed interest, and recently, Southampton have started recruiting him. Japanese media also reported that Sugawara is leaving for Southampton.

Southampton were relegated to the bottom of the last 2022-23 season and succeeded in returning to the Premier League (PL) after the promotion play-off last season. Sugawara's transfer was completed as the future of Kyle Walker-Peters, who played for Tottenham Hotspur in the past, became uncertain, and official official official officially appeared soon. If Sugawara joins, Japan will have its fifth Premier Leaguer after Tomiyasu Takehiro (Arnall), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton and Hove Albion), Endo Wataru (Liverpool) and Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace).