Tottenham Hotspur are set to sign defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale.
Club sources indicate that an agreement for the 20-year-old Japan international has been reached for £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), which would represent a record fee for a player in the J League — the top division of Japanese football — moving overseas.
Takai, who is into the final six months of his contract at Kawasaki Frontale, has played 28 times at club level in 2025 and has also made four appearances for Japan.
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven established themselves as the first choice central defensive pairing at Spurs under previous head coach Ange Postecoglou, while Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso are the other recognised centre-backs in the squad.
However, multiple injury setbacks in 2024- 25 meant Archie Gray, a midfielder by trade, was deployed in the centre of defence.
Danso and Mathys Tel, who both arrived on loan deals from Lens and Bayern Munich respectively in January, have each made their moves to Spurs permanent this summer, while teenage defender Luka Vuskovic will join Spurs from Hajduk Split after a deal was agreed in 2023.
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