Freshly crowned Asian Cup winner Shinji Okazaki arrived in Germany on Sunday to finalize his transfer to VfB Stuttgart, the German Bundesliga club said.
Stuttgart said that the forward Okazaki, 24, has passed the medical and would put pen to paper ahead of the day's match against SC Freiburg. Okazaki comes on a free transfer from Shimizu S-Pulse.
Okazaki arrived in Stuttgart the day after Japan defeated Australia 1-0 for a record fourth Asian Cup title. Okazaki scored three goals at the tournament in Qatar.
He will return to Japan on Monday for a few days and then start training at the 2007 Bundesliga champions Stuttgart who are struggling in the drop zone.
"Unfortunately I could not celebrate the (Asian) title with my team because I left immediately. I played a lot at the Asian Cup, but I am fit and hope to train (with Stuttgart) as soon as possible," said Okazaki.
Okazaki is the latest Japan player in the Bundesliga.
Atsuto Uchida from Schalke 04 and Wolfsburg's Makoto Hasebe were on Saturday's winning Asian Cup team as well. Cologne have Tomoaki Makino who missed the tournament due to injury.
Shinji Kagawa has made most headlines at runaway leaders Borussia Dortmund but is now out for the season with a foot fracture sustained in the Asian Cup semi-finals.
Stuttgart said that the forward Okazaki, 24, has passed the medical and would put pen to paper ahead of the day's match against SC Freiburg. Okazaki comes on a free transfer from Shimizu S-Pulse.
Okazaki arrived in Stuttgart the day after Japan defeated Australia 1-0 for a record fourth Asian Cup title. Okazaki scored three goals at the tournament in Qatar.
He will return to Japan on Monday for a few days and then start training at the 2007 Bundesliga champions Stuttgart who are struggling in the drop zone.
"Unfortunately I could not celebrate the (Asian) title with my team because I left immediately. I played a lot at the Asian Cup, but I am fit and hope to train (with Stuttgart) as soon as possible," said Okazaki.
Okazaki is the latest Japan player in the Bundesliga.
Atsuto Uchida from Schalke 04 and Wolfsburg's Makoto Hasebe were on Saturday's winning Asian Cup team as well. Cologne have Tomoaki Makino who missed the tournament due to injury.
Shinji Kagawa has made most headlines at runaway leaders Borussia Dortmund but is now out for the season with a foot fracture sustained in the Asian Cup semi-finals.
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