Mainz 05: Japanese midfield talent Kawasaki leaves the national team!

Mainz 05: Japanese midfield talent Kawasaki leaves the national team!

An exciting transfer is making waves in the football scene: Mainz 05 has signed Japanese midfielder Sota Kawasaki (23) from Kyoto Sanga. The defensive midfielder has decided to forgo his planned debut with the national team in order to start his career in Europe. The decision is no coincidence, as Kawasaki has great ambitions to take part in the upcoming world championship. His move abroad, so reported transfermarkt.ch, has already been officially confirmed.

Kawasaki is described by the club as having a similar playing style to Kaishu Sano, who is also starting a new chapter at Mainz 05. Sano, a 24-year-old international, is moving from Kashima Antlers to Mainz and has signed a contract until 2028. His transfer, which costs around 2.5 million euros plus bonuses, shows Mainz's trust in young talents fussballtransfers.com.

Ambitions and dreams

For Kawasaki, the move is a significant opportunity to prove himself in the European football landscape and possibly make it into the Japanese national team. Sano also sees it similarly: He saw the move as his first step onto the international stage. Sano says that Mainz 05 have worked intensively with him as a player and that he can now realize his dream of playing abroad. “I want to inspire the Mainz fans, like other Japanese players have done before me,” explains the hard-working midfielder.

Both players' decision to leave their home league is not surprising, as Japanese footballers enjoy an excellent reputation in Europe. They are considered technically adept and work hard on their game, which makes them particularly attractive to clubs. According to a report by japan-forward.com There are currently over 100 Japanese men's footballers active in Europe's top leagues. These include players like Ritsu Doan, Hiroki Ito and Takefusa Kubo, all of whom are leading figures at their respective clubs.

New additions and objectives

In addition to Kawasaki and Sano, Mainz 05 has also strengthened its team with striker Benedict Hollerbach from Union Berlin, whose transfer is considered the most expensive in the club's history. Mainz have also signed defender Konstantin Schopp from Sturm Graz and Kasey Bos from Melbourne Victory. Oscar Fraulo from Borussia Mönchengladbach is considered another candidate for central midfield.

With these new additions, Mainz 05 is underlining its goal of not only establishing itself in the Bundesliga, but also being able to compete in international business. The anticipation for the coming season is growing and the fans can hope for exciting games with the new stars.