Charlton Athletic’s bid for Japanese right-back Shinnosuke Fukuda has been rejected, as Nathan Jones attempts to bolster his Championship squad.
According to the Daily Mail, the freshly promoted second-tier team wanted to sign the 24-year-old on an initial loan with a buy option, but his club, Kyoto Sanga, is only interested in a permanent exit.
Kyoto Sanga are currently fourth in the J1 League, Japan’s top flight, with Fukuda captaining them on two occasions and starting on the right side of defence this season.
The full-back captained Kyoto Sanga in their 2-2 draw with Avispa Fukuoka yesterday, before claims surfaced that Charlton had made an offer to buy him later that day.
| Shinnosuke Fukuda’s 2025 stats for Kyoto Sanga (Transfermarkt) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
| 21 | 3 | 1 | 1,382 |
It remains to be seen whether the Addicks will return with an improved offer for Fukuda, as they will need to trigger his release clause in order to sign him.
Charlton must meet the release clause for Fukuda.
If Charlton want to recruit Fukuda permanently rather than on loan with the option to buy, they must meet the release clause in his contract, according to Will Pickworth of the Daily Mail.
The 24-year-old’s contract expires at the end of January next year, but it appears that Kyoto Sanga is willing to keep him unless the release clause is met as they compete for the J1 League title.
Charlton would need to make an offer of £800,000 to activate Fukuda’s release clause and sign him this summer, although it is unclear whether they would return with another bid after their previous offering was rejected.
The Addicks have already strengthened their defence with the additions of goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, left-footed defender Amari’i Bell, and centre-back Reece Burke, while new signing Rob Apter played in the advanced right-wing-back position vacated by Thierry Small during his first pre-season friendly against HNK Gorica at the weekend.
It is evident that Jones wants to guarantee his side has the necessary quality to maintain their remarkable defensive record at the higher level, but it remains to be seen whether they will increase their summer spending total by bringing Fukuda to The Valley for £800,000.
Charlton are on the market for a right back.
Despite having one of the most impressive right-backs in League One last season in Kayne Ramsay, and having signed Joe Rankin-Costello and Rob Apter, both of whom can play right-wing back, Charlton are clearly looking for another right-sided defender this summer.
The Addicks had a £1 million bid rejected for Hibernian right-back Lewis Miller last week, implying that they have the funds to sign Fukuda for £800,000 if they are willing to meet his release clause during the current transfer window.
If Charlton does sign a dynamic, energetic right wing-back like Fukuda this summer, it would imply that Rankin-Costello has been brought in solely to play in midfield, and it could also indicate that Jones wants a slightly more defensive option than Apter to play in that position during certain games next season.
Leave a Reply