Machida Zelvia (J1) defender Yuta Nakayama (29) has left the team ahead of a transfer to Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade, it was announced on the 26th. The transfer fee is estimated at around 180 million yen.
Reactions on the forum were split over the move: some questioned the football logic (“why go out of your way for a so-so player like Nakayama?”), others lamented him walking away from such a sweet deal (“he’s making 300 million yen a year at Machida”), and still others worried about unpaid wages and tax issues.
Sankei Sports, 2026/08/26 17:48
Machida Zelvia (J1) announced on the 26th that former Japan national team defender Yuta Nakayama (29) has left the team to handle the paperwork and preparations for a transfer. The club says it will make an official announcement once things are finalized.
According to Serbian and other European media, the move is all but confirmed to be to Red Star Belgrade, a powerhouse club in Serbia’s top flight. The transfer fee is believed to be around 1.1 million euros (roughly 180 million yen), with the final details of the contract reportedly being ironed out.
With so many players out there in the world, why on earth would they go out of their way to sign a so-so player like Nakayama?
5Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 20:59:29.50ID:ByUkxsMv0
This club's basically the go-to spot for Korean players, isn't it?
12Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:04:05.03ID:iZeE4RoD0
>>1
The transfer fee's way too cheap.
Can't they just refuse to sell him for that price?
60Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:37:10.37ID:Ewp8+1zX0
>>12
He's over 30, so a multi-year deal is a risk.
Weird that they'd even pay a fee to get him.
68Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:44:43.22ID:QWxo0kr00
>>12
Must be written into his contract —
something like 'pay up if an offer comes from abroad.'
13Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:04:41.02ID:y5wRL1650
Season just started and he's already leaving for personal reasons, lol
14Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:05:10.84ID:OsojWVIL0
The J.League's a higher level than Serbia anyway.
18Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:09:10.63ID:eX3RA51S0
>>14
Obviously.
J1's ranked like 13th in the world, top tier stuff.
16Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:07:28.31ID:JZzw0ahj0
If it's Red Star he's going to, honestly feels like staying at Machida would've been the better move.
17Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:08:59.24ID:/Uipo7Iw0
Sounds like he wants back into the national team, but he's not exactly young anymore — no way that happens from a Serbian club.
19Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:10:55.94ID:pu/NPFip0
My only impression of the Serbian league is that they don't pay salaries.
20Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:11:01.95ID:1kfWM8i20
Wonder what Mikić would've said about this one.
Suzuki-shishō (nickname, 'the master') was there back in the day too — brings back memories.
33Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:16:31.15ID:OxTA041r0
>>20
Maybe he just admired Stojković and wanted to play in Serbia.
His career's winding down anyway, so that's a legit choice. Though it does feel like it takes him further from the national team.
22Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:11:24.02ID:+emItkUh0
I can already picture the future where he's fighting over unpaid wages.
24Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:12:23.99ID:fry4TLX/0
He won't get picked for the national team from Machida.
And he won't step up playing in Serbia either.
Should've just stayed put at Machida.
26Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:14:42.64ID:OxTA041r0
Serbia isn't really a league you go to at the tail end of your career,
and to step up from there to a major league you'd need Golden Boot-level numbers like Asano put up.
If he wants back on the national team, staying at Machida and shining whenever the domestic-based guys get called up was probably his only real shot.
29Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:15:31.29ID:0eh3xOIw0
>>1
Red Star, Partizan —
both of the Serbian SuperLiga's big two have names that scream 'former communist country.'
30Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:15:35.33ID:ah9p/lZx0
Nakayama's career peak was that mid-range shot against Brazil at U-22 level.
31Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:15:51.47ID:YIy2hlK+0
These days there's apparently a system where you punch in the type of player a team needs plus the budget, and it pulls up suitable candidates from players worldwide —
he probably got flagged by something like that.
Given his age, this is probably his last shot in Europe.
34Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:17:52.55ID:hbNW0YAy0
He can play center-back, full-back, and defensive mid, he's left-footed, can take free kicks, and has a track record in the Eredivisie, the Championship, and the national team —
honestly, by any normal logic there should be plenty of demand for a guy like that.
35Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:18:22.04ID:vKAQjKr00
No dreams to be found in a 'tax league.' (slang for a league players join mainly for the low taxes, not the football)
40Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:23:56.81ID:fry4TLX/0
>>35
What are you talking about —
this guy's pulling in 300 million yen a year at Machida.
44Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:27:01.40ID:y5wRL1650
>>40
The ones who look down on 'tax leagues' the most are the 'tax leaguers' themselves.
36Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:19:22.19ID:q1fcssWG0
Salaries were already low to begin with, and now there's the weak yen on top of it.
That's why even Eastern Europe is poaching players.
46Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:28:39.31ID:35y1Uu7J0
>>36
Machida surely pays the higher salary.
72Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:47:36.76ID:P1hg2ESd0
>>36
He's on 300 million yen at Machida??
39Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:23:42.59ID:znBo7f8k0
Pretty par for the course with a 'tax league.'
47Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:29:23.10ID:22B9N28C0
Wild.
He's on 300 million at Machida and an Eastern European club is apparently offering even more than that.
Poland and the rest of the region must be getting rich.
52Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:31:17.38ID:35y1Uu7J0
>>47
No way they're paying more than that.
59Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:36:57.86ID:xblTqmzb0
Rumor has it it's more like 70 million yen.
62Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:37:56.07ID:5pZaCxbK0
>>59
Wait, what happens with taxes at that rate then, lol
67Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:42:36.14ID:vjvJm+wn0
>>59
200 million yen, 3-year deal.
Though taxes are low in Serbia.
In Japan isn't the rate like 60% on 300 million?
61Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:37:19.87ID:GAC6QaDZ0
He's got a bunch of national team caps under his belt, so I don't get why he couldn't step up and instead came back down to Machida — must've just been chasing quick cash.
70Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:46:30.02ID:QWxo0kr00
>>61
Probably to recover from an injury.
69Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:45:42.59ID:4kmwiqvd0
Everyone keeps hyping up Machida's signings, but it's funny — what's impressive is the salaries, not the actual quality of the players.
74Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:48:12.07ID:P1hg2ESd0
>>69
Then go beat Machida, lol
80Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 21:50:33.03ID:eEbqxbZD0
The transfer fee's being paid in installments over 3 years, and salary payments are often late too.
86Anonymous2026/08/26(水) 22:10:11.26ID:8DlgGiY00
>>80
Splitting an already-cheap transfer fee over 3 years, lol
Doubtful they'll pay the whole thing.
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