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| Japanese national striker Machino Stouto looks playful as he conducts a medical test ahead of his transfer to German Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach on the 27th. Source = Borussia Mönchengladbach SS Capture |
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| Borussia Mönchengladbach new striker Machino Shuto official photo. Source = Borussia Mönchengladbach SNS Capture |
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| Japanese national striker Machino Shuto, who signed a contract to join German Bundesliga traditional name Borussia Mönchengladbach. Source = Borussia Mönchengladbach SNS Capture |
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Japanese national soccer team striker Machino Shuto (26), who made a splash in the German Bundesliga last season, wore a traditional German Bundesliga name Borussia Mönchengladbach uniform.
Mönchengladbach announced on its official channel on the 26th (Korea time) that it has confirmed the recruitment of striker Machino, who played an active role in Holstein Kiel. According to German media, the contract period is four years until June 2029, and the estimated transfer fee is 8 million euros to 10 million euros (about 13 billion won to 16.2 billion won). You can see how high Mönchengladbach's expectations are on Machino.
Machino moved to Holstein from Shonan Belmare, Japan in the summer of 2023 and scored double-digit points (11 goals in 32 games) in the Bundesliga in the 2024-2025 season, his second year in Europe, drawing the attention of big clubs.
After Holstein was relegated to the second division a year after promotion, leading clubs in the Bundesliga and English Premier League (EPL) reached out to Machino. Glatbach, who won the recruitment match, was reborn as a pro-Japanese group club with only three Japanese players, along with existing center back Itakura Ko and striker Fukuda Shio.
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| When Machino Shuto Holstein killed. REUTERS Yonhap News |
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Machino will share the same team with Korean midfielder Jens Kastroff, who joined Glatbach earlier. Kastrov is a member of Nuremberg in the second division of Germany and confirmed his entry into Glatbach early in February.
Roland Bacchus, Sports Director at Glatbach, "Machino is a versatile striker who plays a wide range of positions, providing a rich opportunity for offense. He is a goaltender and a great team player who knows how to finish with his right foot, left foot, and header. He proved he could score double figures in the Bundesliga last season."
Machino, a native of Igasi, Japan, known as the "City of Ninja", Yokohama F in 2018.He made his professional debut at Marinos and played for Girabantz Kitakushu and Belmare. He was selected as the first Japanese representative in 2022 and established himself as a regular member of the national team by scoring against South Korea (3-0 wins) at the 2022 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup). He has played in eight A matches (four goals) so far.
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| APYonhap News |
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Machino is really happy to move as much as he really wanted to join Mönchengladbach. I will do my best for the team."
With Machino's transfer, the Japanese Bundesliga has 11 players again. Ito Hiroki (Bayern Munich), Doan Ritz (Freiburg), Sano Kaishu (Mainz), Machida Koki (Hofenheim), Fujita Joel Chima (Jankt Pauli), and Chase Henry (Stuttgart). Compared to last season, the number of players increased by three. By nationality, it is the seventh largest after France (35), Austria (28), Switzerland (15), Denmark (15), Belgium (13), and Croatia (12).
Four Koreans, Kim Min-jae (Munich), Lee Jae-sung Hong Hyun-seok (Mainz), and Jung Woo-young (Unyon Berlin), are on the Bundesliga stage. If Hong Hyun-seok leaves for Nantes, France, it will be reduced to three.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
