Mumbai, June 28: German team Hoffenheim has signed Japan defender Koki Machida from Belgian champion Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. The 27-year-old Machida, who has played 17 games for Japan, signed a "long-term contract" at Hoffenheim, the Bundesliga club said on Friday without elaborating. Kicker magazine reported Hoffenheim agreed to pay around 4.5 million euros ($5.3 million) for the player, possibly rising to over 5 million ($5.9 million) with bonuses. Jude Bellingham's Brother Jobe Bellingham Joins Borussia Dortmund On Five-Year Long Deal.

"In Koki Machida we've found a central defender who brings exactly the qualities we were looking for in this position. He has international experience as a Japanese national team player and was an absolute key part of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise's championship-winning last season. Koki is an uncompromising defender who never shies away from a challenge." Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker said.

"For me the step to Hoffenheim and in the Bundesliga is the next in my career," Machida said in a Hoffenheim statement. FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Benfica Beats Bayern Munich in Scorching Heat To Win Group C.

Machida initially joined the Belgian team on loan from Kashima Antlers in 2022, earning a permanent switch the following year. Altogether he played 114 games for Union. Hoffenheim finished just above the Bundesliga relegation zone last season.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)