Who is Kota Takai? Meet Premier League-bound Japanese defender who once shut Cristiano Ronaldo down in memorable win

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly close to completing the signing of Japanese defender Kota Takai, who also showcased his quality against Cristiano Ronaldo. According to football.london, the UEFA Europa League champions have agreed on a £5 million deal with Kawasaki Frontale, and he is expected to take up a first-team role under Thomas Frank.

However, football fans might wonder why the North London club is interested in the young Japanese defender. Takai, who plays for Kawasaki Frontale, has emerged as their breakthrough star in recent campaigns, helping the team win the Japanese Cup in 2023 and the Japanese Super Cup in 2024.

Born in Yokohama, Takai started his football journey with River FC's youth team and was later signed by Kawasaki. He made his senior debut in April 2022 during Kawasaki's 8-0 victory over Guangzhou. Since then, he has played 78 games for the senior team.

Takai also received praise for his performance against Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite semifinal. Kawasaki Frontale recorded a 3-2 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's side. However, the Japanese team lost to Al-Ahli 2-0 in the league final.

Kota Takai also received praise for his performance against Al-Nassr Kota Takai has also made four appearances for the senior Japanese team, debuting during Samurai Blue's 7-0 win over China last year.

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Former Chelsea defender advises Cristiano Ronaldo not to return to the Premier League

Former Chelsea defender Geremi has ruled out the chances of a Premier League return for Portuguese attacker Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Cameroonian defender has claimed that the Premier League is very demanding, and at age 40, the Al-Nassr captain won't be able to keep up with the competition. He told BoyleSports (via GOAL):

"What Cristiano Ronaldo is doing at his age is exceptional, but his time in the Premier League is over. The Premier League is too demanding, he is 40 years old, and it wouldn't be the same as doing it once in a while in international games." "I think he's going into his last year in football, and I can't see him spending that in the Premier League, it's too competitive and a lot more demanding than he has been used to in the last two years," he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo served two stints in the Premier League with Manchester United. His first stint was quite successful with the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson between 2003 and 2009. He returned to the Premier League in 2021; however, after disagreements with Erik ten Hag, the Portuguese forward left Manchester United at the end of 2022.

After his contract with Manchester United was mutually terminated, Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in January 2023. Since then, the club captain has scored 93 goals and provided 19 assists in 105 appearances for the Knights of Najd.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer