AMIENS, Aug 12 (Alliance News): Japan forward Keito Nakamura is seeking a move away from French club Stade de Reims this summer, but the club’s president, Jean-Pierre Caillot, insists the 25-year-old will not be leaving.
Speaking after Reims opened their Ligue 2 campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Amiens — a match Nakamura did not feature in — Caillot was clear about the player’s future.
“He’s under contract with us,” Caillot said. “I don’t know about offers from other clubs. Either way, he will stay at Reims.”
Nakamura, who scored 11 goals in Ligue 1 last season, joined Reims from Austrian side LASK in the summer of 2023 on a five-year deal. He made history last October by becoming the first Japanese player to score in five consecutive matches in a major European league.
Reims were relegated at the end of last season after finishing 16th and losing in the promotion-relegation playoff. Nakamura also missed the club’s preseason tour of Japan, where Reims recorded two defeats and one win against J-League opposition.
In May, Nakamura told Kyodo News he was determined to secure a place in Japan’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
“It’s the stage I’ve been dreaming of since I was little,” he said. “I want to score at the World Cup finals.”
