Zion Suzuki to become Premier League's costliest Japanese goalkeeper with Aston Villa move

Zion Suzuki, a 23-year-old goalkeeper who has represented Japan 28 times, is on the verge of signing for Aston Villa for a fee that could reach €35 million, the highest ever for a Japanese keeper. The move follows his tenure at Parma, where he became the first Japanese goalkeeper in Italy’s Serie A, and earlier periods at Sint-Truiden in Belgium and Urawa Reds in Japan. Suzuki, born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother, faced online racist attacks after Japan’s Asian Cup defeat to Iraq but says the abuse will not deter him.

He played a key role in Japan’s World Cup run to the last-32, including a strong showing against Brazil. At Villa, he hopes to provide defensive consistency and eventually compete for top honours such as the Champions League and World Cup. His transfer also marks only the second instance of a Japanese goalkeeper appearing in English professional football, after Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi’s brief spell with Portsmouth.