St. Pauli finalizing bargain coup of Japanese international defender

The Japanese centre-half is expected to join the Kiezkickers on a free transfer in January.

According to the Hamburger Abendblatt, St. Pauli are being heavily linked with a financially savvy move for Tomoya Ando.

The deal will either go through on a free or for a very small fee, given Ando’s contract with Avispa Fukuoka expires on February 1st.

All parties have already reached an agreement on the transfer for the 26-year-old centre-half who is around 1.90m in stature. 

Only the medical examination and the player’s signature are missing before the Bundesliga club can announce the completion of the deal. 

The Japanese defender only recently became a national team player earning three caps and now his next career step is about to begin.

German sports website Transfermarkt.com values Ando at around €1million – he played 36 games in the 2025 J1 League scoring 4 goals.