Everton, Bournemouth, and Fulham are among the Premier League clubs monitoring Keito Nakamura, whose performances for Japan at the FIFA World Cup have elevated his profile considerably.

A release fee already in place

The 26-year-old winger has an agreement with Stade Reims that permits him to depart for an appropriate fee — understood to be around £21.5 million — following the club's failure to secure promotion back to Ligue 1 last season.

Everton and Bournemouth have made enquiries about his availability, though both clubs would need to offload attacking players before committing to a deal. Fulham, widely expected to appoint Álvaro Arbeloa as their new manager, are also monitoring the situation.

Nakamura remained at Reims despite interest from Villarreal and Beşiktaş last season, with offers reaching up to £15.5 million. He ultimately chose to stay, finishing as the club's top scorer with 14 goals in the French second tier.

From Reims to the world stage

After Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma was ruled out of the World Cup with a hamstring injury, Nakamura stepped in and cemented his place as Japan's first-choice left winger. He scored one goal, contributed an assist, and earned a place in Opta's team of the group stage.

Japan pushed Brazil hard in the round of 32 before the five-time champions scored a late winner to eliminate the Samurai Blue.

A career built on resilience

Nakamura began his career in the Gamba Osaka academy before moving to Europe at 18, taking in loan spells at FC Twente, Sint-Truiden, and Juniors OO. He then joined LASK Linz on a permanent basis before arriving at Reims in 2023.

Despite Reims' relegation at the end of the 2024-25 season, Nakamura had recorded 11 goals in 32 Ligue 1 appearances. At international level, he has scored 11 goals in 29 appearances for Japan, including six in his opening six matches.

Japanese football journalist Tasuku Okawa spoke to BBC Sport about Nakamura's situation: