Manchester United is reportedly on the brink of securing the signature of Zion Suzuki, a Ghanaian-Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan.
According to reports from Japanese outlet Sponichi, Manchester United has submitted a £5 million offer to acquire Suzuki’s services.
If the deal goes through, Suzuki would become the most expensive signing in the history of the Japanese top-flight league.
Manchester United has been monitoring Suzuki since 2017 and has closely followed his development from his early days in youth football.
The news of the potential transfer has generated surprise and intrigue, as Suzuki is relatively unknown in European football circles.
Birthplace: Zion Suzuki was born on August 19, 2002, in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. His father is Ghanaian Ewe, and his mother is Japanese.
Youth Career: Suzuki began his goalkeeping journey in 2013 with Urawa Red Diamonds, a Japanese club.
He progressed through the ranks and earned a spot in the club’s first team in 2021, featuring in six matches in the Japanese J1 league.
Professional Career at Urawa Reds: After his promotion to the Urawa first team, Suzuki made his debut in May, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory against Vegalta Sendai.
He has since maintained an impressive record, recording ten more clean sheets in 28 matches.
Japanese National Team: As a dual-national, Suzuki is eligible to represent Japan, Ghana, or the USA.
He has represented Japan in various youth categories, starting with the U15 team in 2016.
Suzuki has progressed through the U16, U17, U18, and currently the U21 level. He notably participated in the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup, where Japan’s U21 team finished third. Suzuki played six matches in the tournament, keeping four clean sheets.