Kaoru Mitoma has extended his contract with Brighton

The 26-year-old former Kawasaki Frontale player joined the coastal club in 2021 and spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium.

His Brighton debut was in August 2022, and he has accumulated an impressive record of 13 goals and 12 assists in 52 appearances for the club.

Notably, Mitoma set a new record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season by a Japanese player, concluding the 2022/23 campaign with seven goals, surpassing the previous record held by Shinji Okazaki and Shinji Kagawa.

Brighton had an excellent performance last season, finishing in the sixth position in the Premier League, which secured their qualification for the Europa League.

In the current season, Mitoma has already contributed three goals and three assists in eight top-flight appearances.

As they prepare to face champions Manchester City this Saturday, who were previously rumored to be interested in signing him, the news of Kaoru’s continued presence with the club was welcomed with enthusiasm by the Brighton management. Manager Roberto De Zerbi expressed his delight, stating, “It’s great news; Kaoru is our top player.” Technical director David Weir also added his praise, saying, “Ensuring that a player of Kaoru’s quality will remain with us for the long term is fantastic news. Kaoru adapted to the Premier League last season and has quickly become one of our most important players.”