Yukinari Sugawara joins Werder Bremen on loan from Southampton

Werder Bremen have signed Japan international right-back Yukinari Sugawara on loan from Southampton for the 2025/26 season.

Sugawara, who is capped 15 times for his country, featured 30 times for Southampton in England's Premier League last season, although his contributions, which included a goal and an assist, couldn’t prevent their relegation to the Championship.

Sugawara’s arrival should help assuage the loss of Mitchell Weiser, the flying right-back who tore the cruciate ligament in his knee in pre-season. Head coach Horst Steffen is delighted to have the Japanese on board.

“Yukinari has proven his quality at a high level. He's a fast-paced, tough right-back who can also play in other positions on the wing,” he said. “In our discussions, he’s demonstrated a very positive demeanour and mentality. I'm convinced he'll be a great addition to our team.”

Sugawara could make his debut as soon as Saturday, when Bremen welcome Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen to the Weserstadion. He’s excited to get going in front of the Grün-Weißen support.

Watch: Bremen were beaten in Frankfurt on opening weekend

“I’m very happy to be here. Werder is a big club for me,” the 25-year-old said. “And I can hardly wait to play here in the stadium in front of the fans.”

Sugawara, whose move can be made permanent at the end of the season, is the second recent arrival at Bremen, with the club signing Estonia goalkeeper Karl Hein on loan from Arsenal on Friday to compensate for Michael Zetterer’s move to Eintracht Frankfurt.

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