Hoffenheim complete signing of Japanese international

Koki Machida is officially a TSG Hoffenheim player.

TSG Hoffenheim have sealed the capture of Japanese international Koki Machida.

The 27-year-old centre-back has penned a long-term contract with the Bundesliga outfit and joins from Union Saint-Gilloise.

“With Koki Machida, we’ve found a central defender who brings exactly the qualities we were looking for in this position,” said Hoffenheim’s managing director for sport, Andreas Schicker.

“As a Japanese international, he has international experience and was a key player for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise during their title-winning season. Koki is a no-nonsense defender who never shies away from a challenge. His height makes him very strong in the air, and he also has great awareness and precise passing from the back. We are convinced that Koki will bring the stability we are aiming for in our defense with his presence and abilities.”

“I’m really happy that the move to TSG Hoffenheim has gone through,” said Machida.

“TSG is an exciting and ambitious club playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues. For me, moving to Hoffenheim and the Bundesliga is the next big step in my career, and I truly can’t wait to get started with my new teammates. I’ll give everything to help the team succeed.”