Tottenham defender Kota Takai needed regular game time again this season after spending the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach
Sint-Truiden CEO Takayuki Tateishi has confirmed the Belgian club beat off rival interest to land Kota Takai on loan from Tottenham.
The 21-year-old Japanese defender will spend the season on loan with STVV, which has a rich history of developing players from his homeland.
Tateishi himself is also Japanese while Daichi Kamada, Wataru Endo, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki have also spent time with the Jupiler Pro League outfit.
The executive said when explaining the coup: “Kota is a hugely talented central defender who has mastered every aspect of modern football.
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“He possesses excellent game intelligence and is two-footed. Add his aerial ability to the mix, and you have the ideal profile for our defence.
“We are delighted that he has chosen to further his career at Sint-Truiden. He attracted a lot of interest but decided, in consultation with his parent club Tottenham Hotspur, to make the move to Haspengouw. We are convinced that Kota will play a key role during this historic season.”
Takai will reunite with his former Kawasaki Frontale team-mate Shogo Taniguchi, who captains STVV and the pair could form a fresh partnership at the heart of defence.
It's always been clear that Takai needs to make key steps in his development before he has a chance to feature for Spurs having spent the second half of last season on loan in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach.
He said after completing his switch: “At STVV, I’m joining a team that has a very clear idea of how it wants to play. In the match against Antwerp (1-4), I saw a lot of energy, courage, and confidence in the squad. That suits my style of play.
“I’ve previously played alongside Shogo Taniguchi at Kawasaki Frontale and for the Japanese national team. I look forward to growing alongside him and my new teammates and achieving great results together.”
Takai is yet to feature for Spurs in a competitive match but he'd played minutes for the club's U21 side and was included in a matchday squad for the first time last December when he made the bench against Crystal Palace in a 1-0 victory under Thomas Frank. He was also part of the club's pre-season tour of Oceania.
Spurs have previously had success sending players on loan to Belgium, most recently Luka Vuskovic and Alfie Divine, who both spent time with Westerlo. Both departed the club this summer, sealing permanent transfers to Brighton and Preston.