Hull City have contacted representatives of Japan international Keito Nakamura as the Championship side considers a late move for the winger before the transfer window closes.
Intermediaries are currently attempting to facilitate a deal that would take the 26-year-old from Ligue 2 side Stade de Reims to the English second tier, Foot Mercato reports.
Reims relegation and World Cup impact
Nakamura established himself as a key performer during Reims’ previous spell in Ligue 1, earning praise for his attacking contributions. He further enhanced his reputation with displays for Japan at the FIFA World Cup, using the tournament to showcase his abilities on the global stage. Those performances generated interest from the Premier League, though a transfer to the top flight has not materialised.
The attacking midfielder remained with Reims following their relegation and featured regularly as the club failed to secure promotion back to the top division at the first attempt last season. His continued presence in the French second tier has surprised observers given his established international status and previous success at a higher level.
Hull’s dual approach
Hull’s contact with Nakamura’s camp represents the first concrete step towards securing the player, though the deal remains at an early stage with discussions ongoing. The newly promoted Championship club are also pursuing other attacking reinforcements, with sources indicating they remain in contention to sign Yeremay Hernandez as they strengthen their squad following promotion.
A transfer would offer Nakamura the chance to resume his career at a higher level after seeing previous speculation regarding English top-flight interest fail to result in an agreement. The coming days will determine whether Hull can convert their initial approach into a formal proposal for the Japanese star.