Werder Bremen have acquired Japan international Yuya Osako from Koln, which is bound for the second division after finishing the season at the bottom of the table, the German Bundesliga side announced on Wednesday.
Osako, who joined Koln from 1860 Munich in 2014, scored four goals and assisted on two in 25 appearances this season. He has a total of 15 goals and 15 assists in 108 Bundesliga games.
"In recent years I've had the feeling that Werder is a club with fantastic fans and lots of tradition. I'm looking forward to the challenge and would like to contribute to the good work that has been done in recent months," Osako said in a statement on the Werder website.
The 27-year-old, who played five seasons for the Kashima Antlers before moving to Germany, is likely to be part of the Japan squad for the World Cup starting June 14 in Russia.
Werder finished the recently completed Bundesliga season in 11th place. The club gained a high profile in Japan in the 1980s when it was home to midfielder Yasuhiko Okudera, one of the first Japanese players to make an impact in Europe.
