Japanese media: Kawasaki teenager Yukio Takai attracts Serie A and Premier League competition due to outstanding performance in the AFC Champions League

May 7 According to Japanese media reports, Kawasaki teenager Yukita Takai has attracted the attention of many European clubs, including Udinese and some Premier League teams.

Udinese plans to sign the 20-year-old Japanese international defender this summer. The two sides have made initial contacts, and the transfer fee is expected to reach at least $3.5 million (about 500 million yen), and several Premier League clubs have also joined the battle.

Takai, 1.92 meters tall, is an excellent central defender who helped Kawasaki reach the finals for the first time in the AFC Champions League Classic. In the AFC semi-finals that won against Riyadh on the 30th of last month, he successfully defended Portugal international Ronaldo and further increased his value.

Last September, he made his first appearance for the Japanese national team in the World Cup qualifiers against the Chinese team. In the World Cup next June, he is expected to become the youngest defender in Japan.

Udinese is known for cultivating young players and has trained stars such as Chile international Sanchez. Udinese has been stable in Serie A since 1995 and currently ranks 12th in the league without three games being played. Former head coach of Japan's national team, Zacheroni, has also coached the team.

If Takai can successfully transfer to Serie A, he will become the third Japanese central defender to play in Serie A after Kenyo Fu'an (Bologna) and Ashi Yoshida (Sampdoria).

Yoda Takai was born on September 4, 2004. He is 1.92 meters tall and weighs 90 kilograms. He is a good player with his right foot. He debuted in the Kawasaki Forward Youth Training System and signed a professional contract with Kawasaki in February 2022. At that time, he was in the second year of high school and became the youngest signed player in the history of Kawasaki Club.

On April 15, 2023, Yukita Takai made his J1 League debut against Nagoya Killer Whales. Last season, he won the J League Best Young Player Award.

Yuki Takai also participated in the Paris Olympics last summer as a member of the Japanese U23 national team and was recruited into the Japanese national team for the first time in September of the same year. At present, he has played twice for the national team.