Southampton have signed fullback, Yukinari Sugawara from AZ Alkmaar for £5.9m.
Sugawara is Southampton’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window and the first of two Japanese players to sign a contract with the Saints, with his compatriot – Rento Takoka having signed a pre-agreement contract to join in March 2025 from Nissho Gakuen High School.
The 24 year-old’s arrival marks the end of his five-year spell at AZ Alkmaar in which he scored 11 goals in 165 appearances, having initially joined the Eredivisie club on loan from Japan’s Nagoya Grampus for 2019-20 season which became a permanent move in June 2020.
During his time at AZ, he set a club-record for most appearances in UEFA competitions, having made 49 appearances across Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League, in which he netted two goals.
Southampton have paid a £5.9m fee which includes various add-0n fees as part of the deal, with Sugawara having signed a four-year contract until June 2028.
Speaking about his decision to join the Saints, Sugawara commented: “Last summer I played against Southampton in the pre-season. I felt Southampton played very good football with the ball; they didn’t play long balls, only short passing, they played smart.
“I felt Southampton is a really good club. When Southampton gave me an offer, I said yes after one second!”
Manager, Russell Martin added: “Yuki is a player we’ve watched for a long time and was our number one target in his position.
“He arrives at a good age with a lot of games already under his belt at a high level, including a wealth of European experience. He’s a talented footballer with a great mentality, and a character we think will be really popular with his teammates.
“You can sense his enthusiasm and determination to do well – he’s really excited to play for Southampton, not just to play in the Premier League.”
Sugawara could make his debut for the Saints away to Newcastle at 3pm BST on Saturday 17 August, and his home bow could come a week later on 24 August at 3pm against Nottingham Forest.
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