Ritsu Doan joins Freiburg

Doan produced a team-leading five goals and three assists in 2020/21 as promoted Bundesliga 2 champions Bielefeld successfully avoided an immediate return to Germany's second tier. The 24-year-old playmaker's contribution amounted to 31 percent of the Westphalian club's 26-goal haul.

"Ritsu is technically gifted, can take on one-on-ones and knows how to pose a threat to goal," said Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach. "Ritsu showed at Bielefeld that he can play in the Bundesliga - we'll also need that from him. It's nice that it's all worked out with a year's delay."

Doan has been playing in Europe since summer 2017, when he joined Groningen from Gamba Osaka. The 2016 Asian Youth Player of the Year registered 16 goals and seven assists in 66 appearances for the Dutch outfit, before making the switch to PSV two years later. Twenty-five outings, two goals and three assists later, he secured a loan move to Bielefeld.

The 26-time Japan international was on target in meetings with Bayern Munich, VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Mainz as Arminia - competing in the Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years - finished three points clear of the relegation play-off spot. Despite interest from Germany, where he was named the Bundesliga's Rookie of the Month for March 2021, he returned to his parent club and made 39 appearances last season, scoring 11 goals across the Eredivisie, Dutch Cup, UEFA Europa and Conference Leagues.

"The talks with Freiburg and the coach were intense and convincing. I'm very excited for the new stadium and can hardly wait to play in front of the fans in the SC shirt," Doan added on his signing. "I'm excited for my return to the Bundesliga and think Freiburg is the right place to improve personally and with the team."

Watch: Doan won the Rookie of the Month award for March 2021

Doan will become the third Japanese national to join Freiburg after Kisho Yano and Kosuke Kinoshita, although the latter never made a senior appearance. The attacker is also hoping to secure his place in his country's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup this winter, where they take on Germany in their opening group game on 23 November.

He also continues a proud tradition of Japanese players plying their trade in the Bundesliga. Shinji Okazaki holds the record for most single-season Bundesliga goals by a Japanese player (15), while Shinji Kagawa, who won back-to-back Bundesliga titles under Jürgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund in 2010/11 and 2011/12, is his country's record marksman in the division (41 goals).

Makoto Hasebe of Eintracht Frankfurt, meanwhile, is the German top flight's all-time leading Japanese appearance maker (358 games) and lifted the Meisterschale with Wolfsburg in 2008/09.