Daichi Kamada: too big for Eintracht Frankfurt?

Daichi Kamada endured a thankless Saturday afternoon in Leipzig. 

The Japanese midfielder worked hard as always, providing options in dangerous areas and tracking back to support the defense. He even set up his team's only goal of the game with a neat pass to Djibril Sow, but it wasn't enough to prevent Eintracht Frankfurt slipping to a 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig.

But now, after 163 games and 37 goals for the Eagles, Kamada's time in Frankfurt is drawing to an end, with the local Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper reporting that the 27-year-old is set to join Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, where he has reportedly agreed a five-year deal worth €5.5-6 million a year, more than double his current salary.

From zero to hero

It seems a long time ago now that former Frankfurt head coach Adi Hütter kicked Kamada out of his squad and sent him to train in a separate group, before sending him out on loan to Belgian side St. Truiden in August 2018. But it was in Belgium that Kamada rediscovered the form that saw him called up to the Japanese national team, for whom he's since become a key pillar.

Upon his return to Frankfurt, Hütter also finally recognized the value of the midfield all-rounder. Suddenly, he was full of praise, saying: "Daichi is a creative player who can make the difference with his genius."

Nevertheless, Kamada's style of play didn't always convince the notoriously demanding and enthusiastic Eintracht fans, who too often considered him uninvolved, lethargic and hesistant in the tackle.

"I know that I'm not necessarily their favorite player," Kamada himself told local broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk in December 2021. "I know that my style of play is seen critically. But, with all due respect, what the the coach and my teammates say is more important. As long as they're satisfied with me, I'm happy."

'Mr. Europa League'

In the Europa League at least, Kamada's colleagues had no cause for complaints as he netted five times en route to the 2022 final in Seville, where he also scored in the penalty shootout, in which Frankfurt gloriously beat Rangers.

Kamada's performances on the European stage didn't go unnoticed. In 2019, Italian side Genoa expressed interest, but Hütter vetoed a move to Serie A. Last summer, Kamada had reportedly agreed personal terms with Portuguese giants Benfica, only for Hütter successor, Oliver Glasner, to prevent a move.

The €20 million offered by Benfica wasn't considered worth it to lose such a key offensive cog. But Frankfurt can't compete with the full packet being offered to Kamada by Dortmund, including a €12 million signing-on-fee.

The Black and Yellows, of course, have already had a good experience with attacking midfielders from the Land of the Rising Sun. From 2010 to 2012, and then again from 2014 to 2019 after a two-year spell with Manchester United, Shinji Kagawa made 216 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, scoring 60 goals and setting up 55 more.

They're big footsteps for his compatriot to follow in, but Kamada has proven that he's ready to make the next step.

This article was originally written in German.