Official 2018 J. League Transfers and Rumors thread

Gen Shoji to French first division club Toulouse for 3 million Euros:

https://hochi.news/amp/soccer/national/20181112-OHT1T50034.html

 

From a good WC , back to Japan, not to be included in the "new" JNT to Toulouse. Interesting path.

 

He was not included in JNT because of his injury in July, and now he is not yet back to to form. He will surely be part of the NT once he is back in form.

 

Note that the offer was on the table in the summer following the World Cup - Shoji acknowledged after the ACL final that he decided to stay at Kashima for the rest of the season in order to win that title. His transfer fee will be the highest ever paid for a J-League defender - just recognition for an excellent World Cup performance and his balanced and cerebral, if understated abilities.

 

Junya Ito might leave Kashiwa after the end this season . He is reported to be linked again to Fortuna Düsseldorf, after -allegedly- refusing their offer in the summer:

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2018/11/14/kiji/20181113s00002014378000c.html

The article also mentioned Spanish side Levante as an interested club in Ito too.

 

Wonderful news.
Plus, I was really hoping to see a Japanese players back to Ligue 1. Beside Kawashima, we didn't have that many chances and I think it's a good step for European football. The league isn't as unbalanced as it can get, but it's a championship where many talents raise their profile, so... great call by Shoji.

Plus Toulouse has just renewed their club logo and they're talked to be associated with Man City. Good call.

 

I'd prefer La Liga over Bundesliga for him. Levante could be also a nice place to land.

 

Hiroki Sakai is already there.

 

You're right, but I'd like to see a trend forming.
Plus H. Sakai had already several years in Bundesliga, while Shoji is jumping directly from Japan to France.

 

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2018/12/05/kiji/20181204s00002179500000c.html

Shonan Bellmare midfield Mitsuki Saito will train with FSV Mainz and FC Utrecht this winter. He hopes to transfer to Europe next summer.

 

Meanwhile, there are 1 or 2 La Liga sides that have expresses an interest in Ryuta Koike.

 

Ein neues Gesicht im Volkspark: Japan-Torwart Daiya Maekawa (vom Podolski-Klub Vissel Kobe) trainiert zur Probe mit. #HSV pic.twitter.com/ku19BCWfYy

— BILD Hamburger SV (@BILD_HSV) December 10, 2018

GK Daiya Maekawa training with HSV Hamburg

 

Not good enough for J1 so what on earth is he doing in Germany? The land of great goalkeepers?

If it's a pure "study abroad" thing then I guess it make sense.

 

David Villa is Mikitani's newest toy. He is interested in Cesc Fabregas too.

https://www.nhk.or.jp/sports-story/detail/20181206_3401.html
By the way, J-League is gettiing so much media attention in Thailand thanks to Chanathip's success.

 

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20181213-00000003-spnannex-socc

Fortuna Dusseldorf have made an offer for Junya Ito. Eintracht Frankfurt is also interested.

 

everyone wants to board the vissel hype train.

but seriously, someone has got to step up next season. the fact higashiguchi and gonda make the jnt roster... makes me sick.

 

He's really brought a lot of positive attention to the league, perhaps even more so than the likes of Iniesta and Podolski. I wonder how long he will stay in Japan. He's been linked to Leicester in the past ( with the Thai connection they got), and I actually think he could perform there too.

 

Shoji to Toulouse is reportedly close to a done deal. Meanwhile, Portimonense is said to have submitted an offer for Gonda.

 

Alot is happening now, fun!

 

Hope that guys like Nakayama and Itakura can make the move soon. They have the potential to play in at least the lower-placed teams in those leagues imo.

 

Shoji has done an excellent choice. LG1 should be a solid option for Japanese player: the championship has only one winner, but many players have come through that league, so... good call.

Gonda to Portugal? I'd be curious, since Japanese goalkeepers never achieve that much outside Japan (in my mind, Kosuke Nakamura is still the best around).

 

@Saku² 's favorite Musashi Suzuki is set to join Consadole, so we'll get to see him in J1 next year as well. Doubt he will be a regular starter there, but with Miyoshi returning to Kawasaki they need some new attacking players.

Which is why they are also linked with former U19 and U20 shadow striker Yuto Iwasaki from Kyoto Sanga. He's started 49 games in J2 over the last 2 seasons despite only being 20 so it should be an exciting signing if it goes through even though he's only scored 3 goals in his entire career.

 

Well, Consadole is also losing Tokura to Cerezo, whose lineup will look quite different next year - Yamamura to Frontale, Yamaguchi to Vissel, Sugimoto to Reds.