3 days ago
Europe's cut-price raid on J.League talent exposes monetization gap
Sports
Spurs' 5m-pound deal for Kota Takai shows how Japan undervalues rising stars
Kawasaki Frontale's Kota Takai takes on Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in the semifinal of the Asian Champions League in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 30. Takai's 5 million-pound transfer to Tottenham is the highest for a J. League player moving abroad. © Reuters
DAN ORLOWITZ
TOKYO -- Newly signed Tottenham center back Kota Takai isn't merely carrying high expectations as the Premier League's latest Japanese import: The 20-year-old's transfer fee of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million) is a record for a Japanese player moving abroad, breaking the 4.5 million pounds set by Kyogo Furuhashi when he moved from Vissel Kobe to Celtic in the summer of 2021.
The Yokohama native's transfer is being hailed as a watershed moment for the (Japan Professional Football League) -- and in particular for Kawasaki Frontale, where Takai spent about a decade.
