Tottenham Sign Defender who Shut Down Ronaldo

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur have signed Japan defender Kota Takai from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale for £5m.

The 20-year-old Japanese international joins Spurs from Kawasaki Frontale for just under six million euros signing a contract until 2030.

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The 6'4" center-back made a name for himself early in Japanese football, debuting in the Asian Champions League at just 17.

He won a Japanese Cup and Super Cup with Kawasaki Frontale, making 80 appearances for the club. He also earned the league's Young Player of the Year award.

Takai represented Japan at the Tokyo Olympics last year and has since earned four senior caps in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The young Japanese player also featured in this season's Asian Champions League final, losing 2-0 to Al Ahli. However, his semi-final performance was what truly caught the eye.

In that match, Kawasaki Frontale beat Al Nassr 3-2, and Takai was tasked with marking Cristiano Ronaldo. He performed admirably, winning several aerial duels against the Portuguese forward, who failed to score.

Despite being exactly half Ronaldo's age, Takai held his own physically against the veteran forward, who managed just two shots on target before his team's elimination.

Following the arrivals of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso, Takai is the third signing of the summer transfer window for the team now managed by Thomas Franck.