Shinji Kagawa: Ex-Man United man set for Greece move

Nicholas Hughes

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Former Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund playmaker Shinji Kagawa is imminently expected to be unveiled at PAOK Saloniki in the Greek Super League.

That is according to Kicker, who have reported the Japanese international will sign a contract until 2022, joining a fourth club since his largely underwhelming stint at Old Trafford.

The 31-year-old was last at Real Zaragoza in Spain’s Segunda Division, playing 31 times in the league before the club lost in their promotion play-off semi-final.

Zaragoza now find themselves two points above the bottom of the table after having released Kagawa from his contract in October.

Kagawa emerged into the spotlight as a key part of Borussia Dortmund’s back-to-back Bundesliga-winning sides under Jurgen Klopp.

Shinji Kagawa at Manchester United

Thirteen goals and 12 assists in the 2011/12 Bundesliga campaign earned him a move to England under Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite struggling to get into the team regularly during his two-season spell, Kagawa left Manchester a Premier League winner.

The Japanese returned to Dortmund before spells at Besiktas and then Zaragoza, with a new challenge in Greece the next challenge on his journey.

PAOK currently lie in fourth place in the Greek Super League, 12 points off top spot with eight games to play as Olympiacos appear set to continue their stranglehold on the competition.

Managed by former Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Pablo Garcia, they remain in the Greek Cup but failed to get out of Group E in the Europa League earlier in the season.

Kagawa will join some exciting attacking talent including 24-year-old Andrija Zivkovic and Egypt’s Amr Warda, with a view to chasing down Olympiacos atop the table.