Southampton defender Yukinari Sugawara has strongly hinted that he would welcome a permanent move to Werder Bremen, with family happiness emerging as a decisive factor in his thinking.
BILD Hamburg cover comments from the 25-year-old today. He shares a funny anecdote about his life at the Germa club, including his daughter’s hatred of his beard.
Sugawara arrived at Werder Bremen last summer primarily as cover for a back line dealing with injury concerns. Instead, he has become a regular and reliable presence.
He has already made 23 Bundesliga appearances, logging 1,935 minutes, while contributing four assists and helping the team record five clean sheets.
From Squad Depth to Defensive Mainstay
He’s very much been a key player, recording four assists to date and creating numerous chances, while also contributing to five clean sheets at the other end.
BILD report that he is the ‘most reliable’ of the seven players currently on loan at the club.
The loan deal includes an option for Werder to buy Sugawara permanently, for around €6m.
While reports have indicated they’ll be happy to pay that, the defender has admitted he worries the German side can’t afford him.
Family Happiness Driving the Decision
In the meantime, he’s more than settled at the club with his family. BILD reports that he ‘feels at home’ in Bremen. That’s a feeling shared by his family, although his daughter has one complaint.
“My daughter hates my beard. She’s told me that a few times over the last couple of years,” he said.
“That’s why I shaved it recently. But my beard growth is quite thick. After two or three days, it’s back again. And I don’t want to spend time shaving every day. When I did it the other day, my daughter was close to tears and said, ‘Daddy, I love you so much without a beard.’
“Maybe I’ll shave again on Thursday. Not for the game, but for my daughter. She’s number one, she’s in charge.”
“It takes me ten to fifteen minutes just to shave. And I have to stand in front of the mirror while I do it. And I have to moisturize my skin. In total, that’s 30 minutes. Doing that three or four times a week, I don’t want to do that. I’m a bit lazy. But I would do it for my daughter.”
Southampton’s Promotion Push Holds the Final Say
Whether Sugawara does remain in Germany is likely to depend on what happens at Southampton this season.
Failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League will surely push the Saints towards accepting what deal Bremen offer them, even if it’s less than the €6m deal already agreed.
But with Southampton just three points outside the top six at this point, there’s every chance they can get back into the top flight. And that, perhaps, will leave any decisions about Sugawara until the end of the season.
