Two wins and one draw. With seven out of nine possible points, 1. FC Kaiserslautern has successfully started the new era under head coach Markus Anfang, despite initial doubts from fans. After three match days in the 2nd Bundesliga, the Palatinate team is on a par with league leaders SC Paderborn, but is “only” in fifth place due to the worst goal difference (+2).
A welcome change for the ambitious traditional club, after having to fight against relegation to the 3rd division for a long time last year – and so that 2024/25 can remain a carefree season in the coming weeks and months, in which they may even be able to challenge for the top, a new signing is on the horizon one and a half days before the transfer deadline (30.08.).
More specifically, the officials at 1. FC Kaiserslautern are currently working Bild-Information on the signing of Daisuke Yokota. The 24-year-old Japanese, who is 1.71 meters tall, will be loaned for one year from KAA Gent in Belgium and will increase the Palatinate’s competition on the offensive wing positions.
Since head coach Anfang prefers to play in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, they need players who are fast and have good dribbling skills. So far, however, FCK has only three suitable types of players under contract, with Aaron Opoku having to sit out recently due to injury, Kenny Prince Redondo only just getting back into shape after a toe injury, and Richmond Tachie still having major problems adapting to the new game system.
A loan from Yokota would therefore make sense, especially since the Japanese player already knows his way around Germany. In 2018/19 he played for the U19 team of FSV Frankfurt and then for a season for the second team of Carl Zeiss Jena. In 2023 he then attracted attention with seven goals and one assist at Gornik Zabrze in Poland, after which KAA Gent snapped him up for a transfer fee of two million euros last winter.
Yokota had a bumpy start with the Belgians, but has recently been getting better and better with three goal contributions in the first seven competitive games of 2024/25. Now he is looking to take on the challenge at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, because according to Belgian transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri, Yokota has already agreed with his parent club Gent on a loan to the Palatinate. If that is indeed the case, an announcement of the transfer should not be long in coming.
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