Nagoya Grampus announced the signing Thursday of former Japan forward Yoichiro Kakitani from fellow J. League first-division side Cerezo Osaka, who the same day added Australian forward Adam Taggart.
A Cerezo youth product, Kakitani came through the ranks at the club before making his senior debut in 2006. The 30-year-old scored 21 goals in the J1 in 2013 and won a place in the national squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the Samurai Blue went out in the group stage.
Kakitani joined Swiss outfit Basel the same summer before returning to Cerezo in 2016. The technically gifted forward played mostly off the bench the past season, however, scoring just once in 24 appearances.
Nagoya, who clinched a playoff spot for next season's Asian Champions League by finishing third in the J1, also signed 27-year-old defender Yasuki Kimoto from Cerezo.
Cerezo moved quickly to fill the void left up front by bringing in 27-year-old Taggart from South Korea's Suwon Bluewings. Taggart, whose career has included stints with English side Fulham and Scottish club Dundee United, was part of the Socceroos squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
