The saga of Japanese international striker Keito Nakamura’s departure from Ligue 1 side RC Lens has intensified following their relegation. The club’s top scorer last season (11 goals) is determined to leave, refusing to join the team’s pre-season tour in Japan (with the club citing "poor form") and deleting all Lens-related content from his social media. He is set on leaving before the summer transfer window closes on September 1, despite having three years left on his contract—with no automatic release clause for relegation.
Lens have already sold fellow Japanese international Junya Ito but are standing firm on Nakamura, refusing to let him go. His aggressive stance has even been described by media as "contrary to Japan’s cultural emphasis on contractual commitment and integrity," branding it an "unconventional" move.
The incident has sparked heated debate in Japan:
One netizen compared it to other cases: "Even someone like Lille’s Diakité, when initially told he couldn’t leave, kept training until the last minute of the transfer. We’ve never seen anyone boycott training to force a move."
Others questioned contractual loyalty: "He should’ve considered relegation risks when signing. If he acts like this now, won’t his next club worry he’ll cause trouble later?"
Some fans expressed mixed feelings: "I get he wants to play top-flight football (he’s important for the national team), but the club is right to keep their key player. Why escalate it to such a standoff?"
