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Southampton defender Yukinari Sugawara has cut a delighted figure arriving for a medical before his move to Italian side Cagliari.
Sugawara arrived at Southampton from Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2024 and put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the club.
But following Southampton’s relegation to the Championship, the 26-year-old has been looking for a move away from St. Mary’s.
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Last term, he joined German outfit Werder Bremen and made 31 Bundesliga appearances, while also contributing to six goals.
Werder Bremen were keen to keep him, but decided the fee needed to do so was beyond their reach.
The Japanese defender has also attracted interest from Scottish giants Celtic, but it is a move to Cagliari that is the switch Sugawara will make.
#Sugawara al #Cagliari: grande sorpresa di ieri, giorno di visite pic.twitter.com/MlxJuauE3R
— Alfredo Pedullà (@AlfredoPedulla) September 1, 2026
Sugawara has been snapped by Italian broadcaster Sportitalia arriving to undergo his medical checks with Cagliari ahead of the switch.
The Japanese cut a delighted figure as he arrived for his medical with the Italian Serie A side.
| Team | Year | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Reading (C) | 2005–06 | 106 |
| Sunderland (C) | 1998-99 | 105 |
| Newcastle United (C) | 2009–10 | 102 |
| Leicester City (C) | 2013–14 | 102 |
| Fulham (C) | 2000–01 | 101 |
| Burnley (C) | 2022–23 | 101 |
The 26-year-old is expected to join Cagliari on a season-long loan that also contains an obligation to buy, which should end his adventure with Southampton.
Sugawara will join a side that finished 14th in Serie A last season and will be bidding to keep out of relegation trouble this term.
Southampton are kicking on with their own transfer plans, with signing another centre-back to replace Taylor Harwood-Bellis key.
They have been moving for Elche defender David Affengruber, but now Fulham have come in to hijack that swoop.
Saints must balance arrivals and departures as they seek to give Tonda Eckert the tools he needs until at least January, with promotion the clear expectation at St Mary’s following last term’s spygate debacle.
