The 24-year-old has been playing professionally since the age of 17, making his debut in the J.League for Nagoya Grampus in 2018.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A year later, he made the move to Alkmaar, initially on loan, where he also gained experience playing for Jong AZ, the club\u2019s reserve team, in the second tier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In his five-year stay in the Netherlands, the defender amassed nearly 200 appearances for the first team, including a club-record 53 games in European competitions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sugawara, who has 13 caps for Japan, said: \u201cTo come to Southampton and to play in the Premier League is one of my biggest dreams since I was young, so I am really excited to be here. Last summer I played against Southampton in the pre-season. I felt Southampton played very good football with the ball; they didn\u2019t play long balls, only short passing, they played smart.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI felt Southampton is a really good club. When Southampton gave me an offer, I said yes after one second!\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Southampton manager Russell Martin said: \u201cYuki is a player we\u2019ve watched for a long time and was our number one target in his position. He arrives at a good age with a lot of games already under his belt at a high level, including a wealth of European experience. He\u2019s a talented footballer with a great mentality, and a character we think will be really popular with his teammates.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI felt Southampton is a really good club. When Southampton gave me an offer, I said yes after one second!\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n