Overview

• Tottenham have finalised a £5 million transfer for 20-year-old Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale, a record fee for a Japanese player moving from the J-League.
• Takai has amassed 78 senior appearances, earned four caps for Japan and was named the J-League Young Player of the Year.
• Standing at 6 ft 4 in, the Yokohama-born defender will join Thomas Frank’s first-team squad next month instead of going out on loan.
• The signing extends Tottenham’s focus on emerging talent from East Asia, following last season’s acquisition of Yang Min-Hyeok.
• Once he debuts, Takai will become the 16th Japanese player in Premier League history and aims to adapt quickly both on and off the pitch.