The Japanese Under-20 international has joined the German outfit on a long-term loan with Stuttgart having the option to sign the player at the end of the deal.
Die Roten have secured the loan signing of Japanese defender http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Albirex-Niigata-c38297. The player signed a one-and-a-half year deal with the player and the club has the option of making a permanent signing
at the end of the loan deal. Sakai will join the Bundesliga team when the winter break ends in January.
Sakai made a total of 86 appearances for the Japanese outfit in his four years at the club and has scored one goal in the process. The player has been part of the Japanese Under-20 and Under-22 squads and the move will surely bolster
his chances of a national team call-up.
Stuttgart Sporting Director Fredi Bobic hailed the player as a great talent and insisted that he could be a very promising player for the team for the remainder of the season. He admitted that Sakai will surely provide depth for
the side in defence and that he will be given the required time to settle down at the club.
“Gotoku Sakai is a very promising prospect, who's equally strong on either foot. I've rarely seen a player so advanced as a right- or left back at his age. We'll give him the time he needs to adapt to the Bundesliga and I'm confident
he can become a valuable player for VfB,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Shinji-Okazaki-c33366 has also praised the young player. He claimed that the defender’s move to the Bundesliga will surely give him the required experience and exposure which will in turn help him become a great
player in the future.
“Gotoku and I know are already well acquainted. Gotoku can play off either foot, he puts in a lot of legwork and he likes to get forward for the team at every opportunity as well,” the forward was quoted as saying in an interview.
Gotoku Sakai took part in the AFC Under-19 Championship with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Japan-c2928 last year and helped the team to reach the last eight of the competition.
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