Overnight: no fixtures
A week on from the final, there are no more matches. On the world side, the one thing still moving is FIFA's disciplinary case over the post-final brawl, with no final sanctions confirmed yet. We will report separately if it advances.
Japan today: Maeda's permanent move is confirmed
One firm piece of news landed while Japan slept. Forward Daizen Maeda (28) was officially announced on the 25th as joining Ipswich Town from Celtic on a permanent deal. The contract runs three years to the summer of 2029, with a fee of £8m (about ¥1.7bn) rising to as much as £10m with add-ons. Maeda becomes Ipswich's first-ever Japanese player. A Celtic mainstay with 212 appearances and 79 goals and the Scottish PFA Player of the Year for 2024-25, he was pushed towards the move by a strong World Cup this summer. A switch was talked up last summer too but never happened, making this a Premier League move a year in the making. Full details, including the fee and his own words, are in today's dedicated report.
Kaishu Sano (Mainz), also linked with a move, is still at the negotiating stage. English reports say Liverpool have reached personal terms, but there is no official announcement, and Mainz's valuation and the offer remain apart. Sano lifted his market value with a goal against Brazil at this summer's World Cup. For this morning, keep them separate: Maeda confirmed, Sano 'in talks.'
Tonight and after
There are no fixtures scheduled. The next things likely to move are an official announcement on Sano's future and the appointment press conference of successor Go Oiwa, though neither has a date. For Japan's overseas players, Europe's summer transfer market is the running watch.
Related Links
Links to the official releases and reporting used for this article.
