Yuito Suzuki joins SC Freiburg as Japanese striker replacement for Ritsu Doan

Japanese football is on the verge of producing another big leaguer. Yuito Suzuki (24, Brøndby IF) is heading to SC Freiburg in the German Bundesliga.

Florian Plettenberg, a reporter for the German edition of Sky Sports, noted on social media on the 19th (Korea time) that "Freiburg is set to sign Suzuki from Brøndby! Freiburg has made a contract with him, a Japanese national team player."

He added, "The 23-year-old Suzuki has already completed the medical TES. The transfer is expected to be finalized in a few days. The transfer fee is reported to be between 7 million euros (approximately 10.8 billion won) and 8 million euros (approximately 12.5 billion won). Suzuki has played 30 matches in the Danish Superliga, scoring 16 goals."

Sky Sports explained, "Freiburg is very close to signing Suzuki," adding, "Suzuki can play several positions in the attacking line. However, he feels most comfortable playing as a right winger."

Suzuki is a resource capable of fulfilling various roles, including a wide attacker, an attacking midfielder, and a striker. He is evaluated as a hexagonal midfielder with scoring ability, as he is right-footed but also uses his left foot well. His speed and kicking ability give him excellent attacking point production.

Suzuki, who grew up in Japan, made his entrance onto the European stage in 2023. He joined Strasbourg Alsace in France on loan but barely played and returned to Shimizu S-Pulse.

Suzuki's next choice was in Denmark. He joined Brøndby in the summer of 2023, continuing his dream in Europe. His choice turned out to be correct. He quickly established himself as the team's ace, recording 11 goals and 9 assists in 30 matches in his debut season. Last June, he made his A-match debut coming on as a substitute for Ritsu Doan.

After adapting to Denmark, Suzuki's performance continued this season. Now a key player for Brøndby, he has scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists in 30 league matches. He also scored in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UEL) qualifiers, marking his debut goal in European competitions.

Now, Suzuki is about to leave Denmark and enter a big league. He is expected to wear the Freiburg jersey next season and compete in the German Bundesliga, one of the top five leagues in Europe.

Freiburg plans to develop Suzuki as a replacement for the same Japanese national team striker, Ritsu Doan. Doan is currently heating up transfer rumors to the prestigious Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. According to local German media, Dortmund is working to acquire Doan for 20 million euros (approximately 31.3 billion won).

Doan, who also plays as a starter for the Japanese national team, joined Freiburg in 2022. He has recorded 26 goals and 23 assists in a total of 123 matches, winning competition against Korean national team player Jung Woo-young (Union Berlin). Notably, he contributed to Freiburg's UEFA Europa League (UEL) qualification, recording 10 goals and 8 assists in just 34 Bundesliga matches this season.

Freiburg is now hoping that Suzuki will fill Doan's vacancy. Both are not very tall and share the common trait of being goal-scoring forwards. Sky Sports pointed out, "Suzuki can take on the role left by Doan, who is set to leave Freiburg."

Germany's '90+' also noted that "in Denmark, Suzuki is seen as a very promising player with qualities that can lead to immediate success in the Bundesliga. He transferred from Japan to Brøndby in 2023 for a transfer fee of less than 1 million euros (approximately 1.6 billion won). His contract is valid until the summer of 2027."

[OSEN]