Tottenham Hotspur have officially completed their second signing of the summer, subject to international clearance and work permit.
Tottenham Hotspur fans are still waiting for the club to spring into action in a major way this summer, with Mathys Tel being the only new Spurs signing to arrive through the door so far. Kevin Danso has also joined the club permanently, but that obligation to buy was agreed back in January.
Last month, Alasdair Gold predicted that Spurs would make two or three signings before the start of pre-season. However, with pre-season kicking off this week, the Lilywhites are still yet to kick into gear.
The Lilywhites have now secured another deal, with Frank adding to his defensive stocks by landing a highly rated 20-year-old – Kota Takai.
Kota Takai signs for Tottenham Hotspur on five-year deal
It first emerged on Monday that Spurs were on the verge of securing Kota Takai from J League side Kawasaki Frontale in a £5m deal.
That has now indeed come to fruition, with Tottenham announcing that the Japanese centre-back has completed a move to N17 following a successful medical.
The defender, who has been capped four times for the Japanese national side, has now put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the North London side.
Takai won the J League Young Player of the Year award last season, but now faces a monumental challenge as he makes the step up to a side who will be competing in the Champions League next season.
We are delighted to announce the signing of Kota Takai from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale, subject to international clearance and work permit ✍️
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 8, 2025
Will Spurs loan out Kota Takai this summer?
Alasdair Gold previously reported that Takai is expected to be part of Thomas Frank’s first-team squad, which may surprise a few, given that the youngster is coming to Spurs straight from the J League.
Many might have expected the centre-back to be loaned out to get some experience like Yang Min-hyeok was last season.
However, the defender is no stranger to playing on the big stage, having been part of Japan’s Olympic squad last summer and having already played for the Blue Samurai in World Cup qualifiers.
Tottenham fans will hope that the young centre-back follows in the footsteps of the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray by making a big impact in his first season at N17.
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