Borussia Mönchengladbach Sign Daiki Hashioka on Loan
Borussia Mönchengladbach are moving quickly to plug an unexpected gap on the right side of their defence – and they’re turning to Japan again.
According to Sky Germany, as cited by transfermarkt.de, Gladbach have reached an agreement with Slavia Prague to take Daiki Hashioka on loan with an option to buy. The 27-year-old is scheduled for a medical on Thursday and, if all goes to plan, will become the club’s eighth signing of the summer.
Hashioka to cover Konoplya blow
The deal has been accelerated by the injury to Yukhym Konoplya, one of the headline arrivals of the window. The Ukrainian right-back suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a 2-1 friendly win over Rot-Weiss Essen, a setback that will keep him out for around two months and rule him out of the entire Tegernsee training camp.
Gladbach needed cover. Hashioka offers more than that.
Capped 12 times by Japan, he spent last season on loan at KAA Gent, where he made 17 appearances. He is a natural right-back, but he can also slot into central defence or push higher up the right flank. For a squad suddenly stripped of its first-choice option on that side, that flexibility is gold.
He would also deepen a growing Japanese influence in the Foals’ dressing room.
Uno takes first steps, with help
Zento Uno, signed earlier this summer as a defensive midfielder, took part in his first team training session on Tuesday. The 22-year-old was eased in, involved mainly in drills with limited physical contact, with the coaching staff planning to ramp up his workload step by step before the squad heads to camp.
To smooth his adaptation, Gladbach have assigned interpreter Atsushi Waki to shadow Uno in tactical meetings and on the training pitch.
“With a translator, we can ensure that our messages come across exactly as we intend them to,” head coach Eugen Polanski said. “We’re using this week to ease him into the workload so that, ideally, he’ll be able to participate fully at training camp.”
The club are clearly determined that language will not slow down his integration – or the tactical clarity Polanski demands.
Busy summer, more movement ahead?
On the pitch, the pre-season schedule is already mapped out. Gladbach will face Hansa Rostock before travelling to Rottach-Egern, where friendlies against local side FC Rottach-Egern and Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim await. Those matches will likely offer the first real glimpse of how Polanski intends to blend his new arrivals.
Off the pitch, the numbers tell a story of controlled rebuilding. The Foals have spent around €12.5 million on new players while bringing in approximately €21 million in sales. The squad, though, is not set in stone.
Further departures remain on the table, with Nathan Ngoumou, Tomas Cvancara and Florian Neuhaus all mentioned as possible exits. If those moves materialise, and if Hashioka’s loan is finalised as expected, Gladbach’s reshaped group will head into Tegernsee looking less like a team in transition and more like one being quietly, decisively retooled.
