SV Werder Bremen announce that Japanese internatinal Yukinari Sugawara joins the team on loan.
Club statement:
SV Werder Bremen is loaning right-back Yukinari Sugawara from FC Southampton for one year. The 25-year-old Japanese international completed his medical on Monday and will join the Green-Whites with immediate effect. The agreement with the English second-tier club includes a purchase option next summer. Peter Niemeyer, head of professional football at Werder Bremen, announced this on Tuesday.
"We are very happy that Yukinari has decided to join us. He has been in Europe for some time and brings experience from the Premier League and the first Dutch league, where he has played almost 200 mandatory games for Alkmaar. We are convinced that he can immediately help us further, and we are pleased about the signing," Niemeyer explains.
Head coach Horst Steffen is also looking forward to the 15-time national player. "Yukinari has proven his quality at a high level. He is a fast-paced, physically strong right-back who can also play other positions on the outside. In our discussions, he has shown a very positive attitude and mentality. I am convinced that he will do well for our group."
The new signing from Southampton looks forward to the new task with great anticipation: "I'm very happy to be here. Werder is a great club for me. And I can hardly wait to play here in the stadium in front of the fans."
Yukinari Sugawara initially moved on loan from Japanese club Nagoya Grampus to AZ Alkmaar in 2019 before the Dutch club signed the right-back permanently in 2020. For Alkmaar, he played 198 competitive matches, scoring 14 goals. In 2024, he then moved to England to join FC Southampton. For the "Saints," he appeared in a total of 35 competitive matches (1 goal).