Birmingham City approve Kanya Fujimoto’s transfer following a difficult 12 months.

Birmingham City have decided to send midfielder Kanya Fujimoto back to Japan on loan after a difficult spell at St Andrew’s that has seen the player struggle to establish himself in Chris Davies’ plans.

The Blues have reached an agreement to loan Fujimoto to Tokyo Verdy for the remainder of the current season, giving the 27-year-old an opportunity to return to familiar surroundings and rebuild his confidence through regular first-team football.

Fujimoto joined Birmingham City from Portuguese side Gil Vicente in 2025, but his time with the club has so far been dominated by limited opportunities and a lack of consistent playing time.

Limited Opportunities at Birmingham

Since arriving at Birmingham, Fujimoto has made only nine appearances for the club.

Across those matches, he has accumulated just 202 minutes of competitive action in all competitions. His limited involvement has been particularly noticeable because none of his starts have come in the Championship.

Instead, the midfielder’s only starts for Birmingham have arrived in the Carabao Cup.

That lack of involvement continued into the current Championship campaign.

Despite featuring regularly during pre-season and looking involved in the preparations for the new season, Fujimoto did not make an appearance in any of Birmingham’s opening seven league fixtures.

His omission was somewhat surprising because Davies has not had an abundance of options in midfield.

EFL Squad Decision Raised Questions

Birmingham’s decision to include Fujimoto in their 25-man squad submitted to the EFL after the closure of the transfer window also raised eyebrows.

The club had to make decisions regarding which players would be included in the squad, and Fujimoto was selected.

Scottish winger Scott Wright was instead left out, a decision that surprised some observers given the respective situations of the two players.

However, Fujimoto’s continued lack of opportunities has now resulted in him leaving the club temporarily.

Rather than remaining at Birmingham and potentially spending another season struggling for minutes, the midfielder will head back to Japan to continue his career with Tokyo Verdy.

Return to a Familiar Club

The move represents something of a homecoming for Fujimoto.

Tokyo Verdy is a club he knows extremely well, having been part of their youth system before beginning his professional career there in 2018.

Returning to a familiar environment could provide Fujimoto with the opportunity to rediscover the form that helped him earn a move to European football in the first place.

At Birmingham, competition for places and tactical decisions have restricted his involvement.

In Japan, however, he will be hoping to play a much more prominent role during the remainder of the campaign.

The loan agreement runs until the end of the season, meaning Fujimoto will have several months to make an impression before returning to Birmingham.

Tokyo Verdy Also Searching for a Turnaround

Fujimoto will not be joining a team enjoying a particularly strong campaign.

Tokyo Verdy have made a difficult start to their J-League season, failing to record a victory across their opening seven matches.

Their record currently stands at four draws and three defeats.

Those results have left Tokyo Verdy sitting 19th in a 20-team division, meaning they are already involved in a battle to improve their league position.

The club will therefore be hoping that Fujimoto can provide an attacking spark and contribute to a turnaround during the remainder of the season.

For the midfielder, the situation presents an opportunity to play regularly while helping the team improve its fortunes.

Birmingham Lose Another Number 10 Option

Although Fujimoto has struggled for opportunities himself, his departure creates another selection issue for Birmingham.

The Blues now have fewer natural options in the number 10 role following his exit.

Jay Stansfield remains an important figure in the attacking setup, while Marvin Ducksch is now regarded as the only obvious alternative capable of filling that position.

That could potentially leave Davies with limited depth should injuries, suspensions or loss of form affect his attacking players.

Birmingham will therefore need to manage their squad carefully during Fujimoto’s absence.

The decision to loan him out may still make sense from the player’s perspective, however, particularly if regular football was unlikely to be available at St Andrew’s.

Contract Still Runs Until 2028

Fujimoto’s temporary departure does not represent the end of his Birmingham career.

The Japanese midfielder still has two years remaining on the three-year contract he signed after arriving at the club in 2025.

That means Birmingham retain his registration and will have the opportunity to reassess his situation when the loan spell concludes.

A productive period with Tokyo Verdy could potentially change the picture entirely.

If Fujimoto can regain match fitness, confidence and consistency in Japan, he could return to Birmingham with a stronger case for regular involvement.

Alternatively, his performances could attract interest from other clubs when the loan ends.

A Chance to Restart

For now, the immediate priority for Fujimoto will be getting back onto the pitch regularly.

His first year at Birmingham has been frustrating, with only nine appearances and 202 minutes of competitive football despite his involvement during pre-season.

The move to Tokyo Verdy gives him the chance to put that difficult period behind him.

Returning to the club where he developed as a youngster and began his professional career could provide the familiarity he needs to rediscover his best form.

Birmingham will also monitor his progress closely while continuing their Championship campaign.

For Davies, the challenge will be finding solutions to the reduced depth in midfield and the number 10 position.

For Fujimoto, meanwhile, the loan represents an opportunity to turn a frustrating spell into a fresh beginning and prove that he still has plenty to offer.