Wolves sign Japan international Hayao Kawabe in first January move
The 26-year-old midfielder becomes the club’s first-ever Japanese player
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Wolves have signed Japan international Hayao Kawabe from Grasshoppers.
The midfielder has penned a three-and-a-half-year deal at Molineux to become the club’s first ever Japanese player.
He is expected to return to Switzerland at the end of January to complete the season on loan at Grasshoppers.
Kawabe has impressed in the Swiss Super League after joining from Sanfrecce Hiroshima last summer and has made 18 appearances, scoring four goals and assisting three.
The 26-year-old made his Japan debut against South Korea in March last year and has four caps, scoring once.
Wolves technical director Scott Sellars said: “Naturally, Hayao is a player we’ve watched a lot and he’s done really well this season.
“He’s an attacking midfield player, very energetic, very busy, and has good quality. He’s really shone at Grasshoppers this year, and he’s one of the main reasons they’re doing so well.
“Due to the GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) criteria for signing international players, Hayao is a player who is eligible to sign for a British club this month, but may not be in the future, which is why we’ve moved now to confirm his signing.
“Hayao will spend January with Bruno’s (Lage) group while the Swiss Super League is on a winter break, then he’ll likely return to Grasshoppers to finish the season there, as he has been an important player for them so far this season.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments