Japan defender Gotoku Sakai will join SV Hamburg from Bundesliga rival Stuttgart on a three-year deal worth €700,000 ($780,000), according to a report Wednesday in German daily Bild.
The 24-year-old Sakai will either move this weekend to Hamburg or join up with the team at its training camp in Switzerland, the report said.
Hamburg narrowly avoided relegation from the top flight last season by beating second-tier Karlsruhe 2-1 in a playoff for a 3-2 aggregate win on June 1.
Sakai joined Stuttgart from J. League club Albirex Niigata in January 2011 but saw his playing time decrease from the middle of last season.