Japanese soccer has gone crazy. It produced another Europe-based player.
Germany's Bild praised, "On the 20th of last month, Japanese forward Shiogai Kento (20) moved from Nijmegen in the Netherlands to Wolfsburg in Germany. The transfer fee was €9.5 million (about 16.3 billion won). He is a player in perfect condition who can immediately contribute to Wolfsburg."
Shiogai made his debut for Wolfsburg after joining, appearing briefly for six minutes in the Jan. 24 match against Mainz. He is a player whose ability to score despite limited playing time stands out. He is even being discussed for selection to Japan's squad for the CONCACAF World Cup.
The most notable young Japanese forward on the European stage in the 2025-26 season is undoubtedly Shiogai. While a first-year student at Keio University, he passed up the J.League and moved to the Dutch league in 2024. At 19, in his first challenge abroad, he struggled to adapt early in the season. Last season he started only three of 25 matches and played mostly as a late substitute.
But after adapting to the European stage, he exploded, scoring seven goals in 12 matches. From November to December last year he netted five goals in 122 minutes, playing a decisive role in securing his team's points.
Ultimately, he caught the eyes of scouts in the German Bundesliga and achieved his dream of moving to a big league.
[OSEN]