Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to sign highly rated Japanese centre-back Kota Takai from J.League 1 side Kawasaki Frontale for a reported £5 million—a record transfer fee for a player moving abroad from Japan’s top flight.
The 20-year-old is expected to arrive in North London next month and will be integrated into new head coach Thomas Frank’s first-team squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Takai has already earned four senior caps for Japan, making his debut in a 7–0 World Cup qualifying win over China in September 2024, just one day after turning 20. He also represented his country at the 2024 Olympic Games and played a pivotal role in Kawasaki Frontale’s Super Cup triumph earlier that year—a campaign that earned him the Young Player of the Year award in Japan.
Despite his age, Takai arrives with a wealth of top-level experience. He made his professional debut at just 17 in the AFC Champions League and has since racked up 77 senior appearances for Frontale. One of his most impressive performances came in April 2025, when he helped shut down Cristiano Ronaldo in Frontale’s thrilling 3–2 win over Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite semi-final—a display that turned heads across the continent.
At 6’3″, Takai combines physical presence with athleticism, composure, and technical ability. A modern, ball-playing centre-back, he has completed nearly 2,000 passes in the J.League since the start of last season, with an 88% accuracy rate—ranking 15th among all defenders.
At Spurs, he’ll face stiff competition for a place in the backline, lining up alongside the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, and Radu Drăgușin in what promises to be a revitalized defense under Frank.
Takai becomes only the second Japanese player in Tottenham history, following Kazuyuki Toda, who joined the club on loan in 2003 but made just four appearances under then-manager Glenn Hoddle. This time, however, expectations are markedly higher.
He also joins an impressive list of Kawasaki Frontale alumni to make the jump to Europe, following in the footsteps of Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Reo Hatate (Celtic), and Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP).
For Tottenham, Takai represents more than just a promising addition—he’s a long-term investment and a potential defensive cornerstone for years to come.