TOKYO: International defender Tomoaki Makino is the latest footballer to join an exodus of Japanese players to European clubs after Japan’s impressive showing at football’s showpiece in South Africa.
The 23-year-old, due to play at the Asian Cup in Qatar in January, has agreed to sign with Cologne, J-League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima said on their website.
He is expected to leave for Germany today to undergo a medical checkup and sign a deal with the Bundesliga side before heading for Doha to join the Blue Samurai for the continental championship, Japanese media said.
The centre-back, who did not play at the World Cup, will be the fifth Japanese player in the German top flight alongside Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke 04), Makoto Hasebe and Kisho Yano (Freiburg).
Hajime Hosogai reached an agreement on a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen last week and will be immediately farmed out to Augsburg in Division Two.
Of the group of five Japanese, only Hasebe was playing in the Bundesliga before South Africa, where Japan reached the World Cup last-16 for the first time on foreign soil.
Stuttgart are also reported to have offered a deal to Japan and Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki, who scored a goal in South Africa.
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