Yukinari Sugawara has been allowed to leave AZ Alkmaar’s training camp in Epe to travel to England to complete a move to Southampton.
That’s according to De Telegraaf, who say the player has been excused from the training camp and is finalising a €7m move to Southampton as a result.
The newspaper reports that the Dutch club have given Sugawara ‘space’ to finalise his move to Southampton after they agreed a deal worth around €7m for him.
Reports in England had claimed that the defender was travelling for a medical after Southampton had targeted him as a replacement for Kyle Walker-Peters.
De Telegraaf do not back that up but simply say the player was given permission to leave Alkmaar’s training camp in Epe yesterday to finalise the move.
They then cover the player and how the Dutch side will be losing a real ‘mood maker’ in the dressing room, describing Sugawara as a player who lends himself to ‘funny statements or funny faces’ when he can.
There’s also praise for the way he settled at the club despite only having a basic grasp of English, thanks to his ‘open character’.
The newspaper also adds in a funny anecdote about him having commuted between his house and the club’s training complex with an electric scooter, a further sign of the character Southampton are signing.
Given some of the stories about footballer’s these days we’re sure these details will all go down well with Saints fans, who can look forward to their new signing arriving sooner rather than later if De Telegraaf are to be believed.
