Bayern Munich sign 18-year-old midfielder Taichi Fukui

Bayern Munich have signed another player for the second team, FC Bayern II. Midfielder Taichi Fukui, an eighteen year-old Japanese youth international, will arrive from Sagan Tosu of the J1 League, Japan’s top flight, in January 2023. He had previously trained in Bavaria during the summer.

Fukui has already played for Japan’s U-16 and U-17 sides, but he’s playing sparingly for his senior team so far. The senior sides of his home country and Germany will face off on November 2rd3 of this year in the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

At Bayern, the pathway to the first team may be remote, but the development potential in the second team could well lead to greater opportunities in the future. He’ll join an FCB II team doing its best to achieve promotion from the Regionalliga — Germany’s fourth tier — back into the 3. Liga, where teams like Borussia Dortmund II currently play.

“It’s a big honor for me to be able to be playing for FC Bayern soon,” said Fukui (via @iMiaSanMia). I will give everything for the club.”

Additionally, campus manager Jochen Sauer had this to say for the new youth acquisition:

“Taichi trained with our second team for several weeks this summer and was able to draw lasting attention to himself. We’re happy that he’ll be playing for us in the Regionalliga after the winter break.”

Welcome to Bayern, Taichi! Mia san Mia!