Stuttgart sign Gotoku Sakai on loan

The 20-year-old defender will set off to his mother's homeland as he joins compatriot Shinji Okazaki at the eighth-placed Bundesliga club in January.Bundesliga side Stuttgart have announced that they have agreed to take Albirex Niigata defender Gotoku Sakai on loan.The deal will send the 20-year-old to Germany until at least June 2013, when Stuttgart will have an option to sign the full-back permanently."Gotoku Sakai is a very promising prospect who's equally strong on either foot," sporting director Fredi Bobic told the official Bundesliga website."I've rarely seen a player so advanced as a right- or left-back at his age. We'll give him the time he needs to adapt to the Bundesliga and I'm confident he can become a valuable player for VfB."Japanese national team regular and fellow Stuttgart man Shinji Okazaki also praised the deal."Gotoku and I know are already well acquainted. Despite having a German mother, he's typically Japanese," the Samurai Blue striker added."[He] can play off either foot, he puts in a lot of legwork and he likes to get forward for the team at every opportunity as well."Sakai himself was positive about the deal, speaking to local media at the Albirex clubhouse."It's tough for me to leave Albirex Niigata, but I decided that there's no better time than now for me to go overseas," the Under-23 international said.Sakai also discussed the reaction of his German mother, Angelica."She's happy about it, but she's also a bit angry that I haven't kept up my German studies!" the youngster joked.