Tottenham Hotspur‘s Kōta Takai has completed a loan move to Sint-Truidense VV on deadline day.
The centre-back wasn’t part of Roberto De Zerbi’s plans at the north London club this season.
Therefore, Tottenham have let him spend this season on loan in Belgium. He made a trip to Limburg on Monday even before the two clubs finalised the agreement for his late move.
Tottenham man’s debut delayed
Wednesday’s edition of Het Belang van Limburg covers the 21-year-old’s loan signing.
The Jupiler Pro League side will host Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the league later today.
The newspaper states Kōta Takai is ‘not eligible to play’ this fixture, without providing any further clarification.
Sint-Truidense will face RAAL La Louvière on Saturday and as of now, it’s unclear whether the Japan international will receive clearance for this fixture.
Manager excited about signing from Tottenham
The newspaper also relayes Sint-Truidense manager Frédéric De Meyer’s views on Kōta Takai’s arrival on loan from Spurs.
The coach is ‘enthusiastic’ with his signing even though he can’t utilise him later today.
He said: “Kōta does indeed remind me a bit of Shogo Taniguchi, but much younger. I think that in the long run he could even become Shogo’s successor in the Japanese national team.”
Loan move beneficial for all parties
The Premier League side invested around €6m to sign the defender from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in July 2025.
An ankle injury forced Kōta Takai to spend five months on the sidelines until December 2025.
Therefore, he couldn’t make his debut for Tottenham Hotspur, who sent him on loan to Borussia Mönchengladbach in January.
The defender had played eight matches for the Bundesliga side but that wasn’t enough to convince Roberto De Zerbi.
Therefore, Spurs have sent him on loan again so that the 21-year-old can continue his development.
Sint-Truidense have secured a young defender with potential, and he can enjoy game time this season. This way, the move can end up benefiting all three parties.
