FC Utrecht has strengthened itself with Naoki Maeda, the club announces through the official channels. The 27-year-old right winger, who can also function as a striker, is rented by the Domstedelingen from Nagoya Grampus until the end of the season. FC Utrecht has also negotiated an option to buy and if this is lifted, Maeda will sign a contract until mid-2025.
Former Japan youth international, Maeda was trained by Tokyo Verdy and then played for Matsumoto Yamaga and Yokohama F. Marinos before joining Nagoya Grampus in the summer of 2018. His contract with that club ran until the end of 2022, but the wing attacker is now going on his first adventure outside Japan at FC Utrecht. As soon as his work permit is completed, he will be available for trainer René Hake from January.
“Naoki is a creative player with a good dribble and can pass a man,” says technical director Jordy Zuidam on the FC Utrecht website. “He also keeps a good overview in the final phase, is agile and has good acceleration after his action. It is a player who plays with a lot of energy and has a lot of threat in his game forward. Plus, he has a good shot. We see Naoki as an immediate addition to our team and are therefore very happy to have him on board.”
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