Spurs could move for “new Shinji Kagawa”

Tottenham Hotspur could enter back into the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Daichi Kamada, according to Graeme Bailey.

Who is Daichi Kamada?

Across five years with the club, the Japanese attacking midfielder made 179 appearances, scoring 40 and assisting 33 in all competitions.

The biggest moment of the player’s tenure at the club is undoubtedly winning the side’s first-ever European trophy in 2022 when they defeated Scottish side Rangers on penalties to win the Europa League.

His first introduction to English football was a memorable one, with his brace for Frankfurt against Arsenal in the Europa League in 2019 being the result that saw then-Gunners gaffer Unai Emery sacked.

His manager in Germany, Oliver Glasner, was full of praise when asked about Kamada:

“I’ve only rarely encountered such an intelligent player out on the pitch. Daichi’s sense of anticipation for where dangerous spaces will open up is excellent. I trust him to find the spaces opposing teams give us.”

Former manager Adi Hutter shared Glasner’s sentiments, stating: “I have to admit he’s really surprised me – in a good way! He’s come on leaps and bounds, not just as a player but his character has really come to the fore, too.”

Following the announcement that he wouldn’t be renewing his deal with Eintracht Frankfurt, a host of clubs were reportedly interested, however, AC Milan were the side that seemingly had won the race for the highly coveted Japanese midfielder.

In recent days though, reports have surfaced suggesting that following the overhaul in the Milan hierarchy that saw names such as Paolo Maldini lose their jobs, the deal that would’ve seen Kamada head to the San Siro has since collapsed, which opens the door for clubs previously interested to try again.

One such club who may put their hat back into the ring is Tottenham. The club have held an interest in the player for a number of years, dating back to 2021, and now he is available for free they could make their move.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, journalist Bailey stated that Spurs have long held an interest in Kamada, whilst also mentioning that the eye for Japanese talent that new manager Ange Postecoglou has could also be a factor in pushing forward a move.

“I love this player, Daichi Kamada on a free transfer is an interesting one. Milan did the deal, but they delayed it for weeks and weeks and they haven’t approved it. Dortmund like him, Inter and Napoli are liking him. Tottenham and Newcastle liked him before.

“Ange Postecoglou knows all about the Japanese players and there’s none better than this guy, on a free it wouldn’t surprise me to see Tottenham getting back involved in this. He could be an outstanding pickup for any Premier League team on a free transfer, he really could.”

Would Kamada fit in at Tottenham?

Despite the recent signings of James Maddison and Manor Solomon, Kamada would still be a fantastic fit at Spurs.

The 26-year-old is incredibly versatile, having played in all three frontline positions as well as both attacking midfield and central midfield throughout his career, which would give the north London side an added boost to two areas of the pitch.

Kamada is also an incredible attacking threat, sitting in the top 1% of all midfielders across Europes top five leagues for non-penalty XG, whilst also sitting in the top 10% for non penalty xG + xAG.

According to FBref, some of his best comparisons include Nicolo Barella, Federico Valverde and Ilkay Gundogan, putting the Japanese player into some esteemed company.

As Bailey stated, Postecoglou has experience and pedigree in working with and getting the best out of Japanese talent, with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate recent success stories, and the opportunity to work with a player who has been called the “next Shinji Kagawa”, could be a massive opportunity for both parties.