A career which should take a new turn this summer as the 26-year-old Japanese has stood out positively this season at the Marien stadium. Arriving in the winter of 2022 in Brussels, Machida first had to deal with competition from Siebe Van der Heyden and a hip injury which kept him away from the field for many months. Before getting everyone to agree this season by being an indisputable and essential starter in his position. “He is one of the best defenders in the championship, explains his teammate Alessio Castro-Montes. I had already faced him when I played in Ghent and he impressed me. He continued his momentum by having all the qualities of a modern defender. It is certain that he can go very high and I am sure that he will succeed wherever he goes because he is very, very strong.”
“I’m sure he’ll succeed wherever he goes because he’s very, very strong.”
In addition to being important in the aerial field with his 90 meter height, the former Kashima Antlers player has an above-average sense of positioning and defensive solidity. To this must be added elegance with the ball and technical accuracy as well as one of the best restarts in the Pro League. He was able to demonstrate it again during the playoffs with this precise pass for Gustaf Nilsson bringing the equalizer on the sixth day of the playoffs. To top it all off, Machida takes great care of his body and is one of the Unionists who is most often found in the gym at the Lier training center. “I've always been a big fan of his, remembers his coach Alexander Blessin. I remember telling management this during our very first conversation last summer. He had more complicated periods but it is quite logical with the number of matches played and the long trips with his national team but he came out of this phase. In the last few matches, I felt he was close to scoring. To win this final with his goal is a great thing.”
Having left for the Asian Cup at the start of 2024, Koki Machida was greatly missed by the Union, who has this ability to make his teammates better. In Japan, he is seen as one of the future great defenders of the national team while the current competition does not yet allow him to be an indisputable starter. “Machida receives playing time but it depends on the presence of his competitors, explains Toru Nakata, a Japanese journalist who follows his country's players in the Netherlands and Belgium. Players like Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Ito (Stuttgart) and Itakura (Mönchengladbach) are further along in their progress. But Machida has accumulated quite a bit of experience in the Pro League and has huge potential. Given his speed, his technique, his defensive qualities and his passing, he can become one of the best Japanese defenders of his generation.”
“He can become one of the best Japanese defenders of his generation.”
Arriving for one million euros at the Union, Machida is of interest to several big European teams, starting with Tottenham who already wanted to sign him this summer. His profile appeals in England, he who has a style of play for the Premier League. The Brussels management suspects that the player will not stay at the Union much longer and would be ready to let him go for around 15 million euros. “I know there are a lot of articles about me in the newspapers, smiled Machida. I don't know if I'll still be at the Union next season, I'm not sure (laughs). I am mainly focusing on the end of the season with the possibility of being champion.” A title which could be the icing on the cake before a more than likely departure like his bankable teammates Puertas and Amoura…
