Leeds United have continued their crusade towards Premier League promotion through January by winning five of their six fixtures and drawing the remaining one. Daniel Farke’s side sit fourth in England’s second-highest division of football. Club officials were hoping to add the announcement of a major transfer in the form of Daiki Hashioka, but were beaten to their target by a Premier League outfit.
Daiki Hashioka Picks Luton Town over Leeds United
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Japanese Defender Joining English Side
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano tweeted late Sunday night that Daiki Hashioka has agreed to sign with Premier League squad Luton Town. He gave the transfer his signature “Here we go!” tagline. The Japanese right-back joins the struggling Hatters from Belgian Pro League outfit Sint-Truiden.
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Hashioka’s transfer is a “done deal despite Leeds and Trabzonspor interest.” The Lilywhites were looking to boost their backline in hopes of rising to the automatic promotion spots of the Championship. Instead, Luton have signed the 24-year-old defender that aims to help them remain in the English topflight.
Leeds Fail to Secure Hashioka’s Talents
Hashioka began his footballing career in the Urawa Red Diamonds’ youth academy. He graduated in 2017 and made his first appearance with the senior side. Although his time in Japan did not bear any trophies, he earned a call-up to the Japanese National Team in 2019. This drew the attention of clubs in Europe.
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Since joining Sint-Truiden in 2022 on a permanent transfer, Hashioka has been a regular for De Kanaries. Only a short season in Belgium was needed for the Japanese right-back to impress. Several clubs in England were rumoured to be monitoring him, including Leeds and Manchester United, but Luton topped the group and will see how high the “astonishing” defender’s ceiling will rise.
