On Tuesday morning, we welcomed our third permanent addition of the summer with the signing of Kota Takai.
A 20-year-old Japan international defender, Kota joined us from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale and signed a contract with the Club which will run until 2030.
Born and raised in the Tsurumi ward of Yokohama, a city just outside the capital of Tokyo and that is where his love of football began, playing the game as a child while also watching it when he could, especially the Premier League on Super Soccer Digest.
Playing locally before moving into the Frontale academy, Kota has enjoyed a meteoric rise since short move north.
He became the youngest player in the Japanese side's history to sign a professional contract, doing so while still in school before he earned his professional debut at the age of 18 - coming in the Asian Champions League.
Coming on as a substitute against Chinese side Guangzhou, the defender helped his side see out an 8-0 away win in the group stage.
Just two months later, the 18-year-old was facing his idol Lionel Messi as Paris Saint-Germain - our opponents in next month's UEFA Super Cup Final - visited the Japan National Stadium to take on Frontale in a friendly. That day the frontline facing the centre-back featured Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
After that bright start while still part of the Academy side, he was thrust into the spotlight as the following campaign he was promoted to the first team side and went onto play 21 matches, including four as his side went on to life the Emperor's Cup.
And that summer he was once again tested with European opponents - and with the challenge of a future team-mate as Mathys Tel led FC Bayern Munich at the Japan National Stadium in July 2023.
Despite his age, Kota has continually impressed in the J1 League as he towers over opponents. At 6ft 4in, just one outfield player could beat him in terms of height - that being Yokohama's Shawn van Eerden.
Dominant in the air, the defender is also physically strong so is not shy of a duel while he has the speed in recovery. Good on the ball, he also has the composure to stay calm under pressure.
Those attributes have helped him to continually grow in his homeland to become a star for his country.
At the age of just 18, he was selected to represent his country at the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2003 - Alejo Veliz (Argentina), Wilson Odobert (France), Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine (England) also appeared at the tournament.
In 2024, his rise continued with him scooping the J.League's Young Player of the Season award having also helped Frontale to win the Japanese Super Cup at the start of the year.
The year also saw him lift a major honour on the international stage as he was part of the Japan Under-23 side to win the Asian Cup while he also represented his nation at the Olympic Games in Paris - he was the youngest player in his nation's squad.
His performances across those tournaments, and domestically for Frontale, saw him honoured with his first cap for the Japan National Team. Coming in September, 2024, the centre hald came off the bench to help his side to a 7-0 win over China. He has since earned three more caps.
Last season he was part of the team which took Kawasaki Frontale to the AFC Champions League Final for the first time, defeating Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the semi-finals before falling to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Arabian showpiece.