Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly close to confirming their first signing under new manager Thomas Frank, with 20-year-old defender Kota Takai set to join from Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Frank took charge earlier this month following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou. Despite leading Spurs to a Europa League title—their first trophy in 17 years—Postecoglou was sacked due to a poor league campaign that saw the team finish just one spot above the relegation zone.
While relegation was never a serious threat, the season marked Tottenham’s worst-ever Premier League finish since the competition’s inception in 1992.
In response, the club turned to Frank, who impressed during his time at Brentford by guiding them to two top-half finishes in just four seasons.
| Kota Takai’s J-League 1 statistics – Kawasaki by season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Goal contributions |
| 2025 | 19 | 2 |
| 2024 | 24 | 3 |
| 2023 | 13 | 0 |
Thomas Frank’s first signing as Tottenham manager looks set to be 20-year-old defender Kota Takai, with reports suggesting Spurs will pay around £5 million to secure his move from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale — a record fee for the Japanese top flight. Fabrizio Romano shared the update on Instagram.
Despite having 18 months left on his contract, Takai has already made 57 league appearances and featured four times in the Asian Champions League.
His rapid rise saw him captain Kawasaki earlier this year in a match against Ange Postecoglou’s former team, Yokohama F. Marinos, underlining his status as a standout talent.
Tottenham already boast a crop of promising centre-backs, including Micky Van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, and 18-year-old Luka Vuskovic, who recently made his debut for the Croatian national team.
Still, Frank appears intent on reinforcing his youthful defence even further, with Takai emerging as a key addition thanks to his impressive form in Japan.
While Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have joined through pre-arranged loan deals, Takai is expected to be Frank’s first direct signing as he begins shaping his new-look Spurs squad.
