Karlsruher SC signs Shio Fukuda from Borussia Mönchengladbach for 700,000 Euros. The Japanese player comes from the U23 and debuted in the Bundesliga. Fukuda was transferred to Gladbach in 2023 from the Kamimura Gakuen High School and gained his first international experience in the U19 and U23 of the club. In January 2024, the powerful striker made his debut in the Bundesliga, with a total of 11 games and one goal. At Borussia's professionals, the Japanese player could not establish himself, which is why he was loaned to Karlsruher SC for the 2025/26 season. The loan initially went slowly, but in the course of the second half of the season, Fukuda found himself better and better. "I was able to develop well in the past season at KSC. During the season, I got used to the football in the 2. Bundesliga and took the next steps. Especially the last eight games with five goals went really well for me personally. Exactly there I want to continue in the next season and I'm very happy that my time at KSC continues", Fukuda is quoted in the club's announcement. 20 second division games and six goals are in the season balance of the striker, for whom a purchase option of 1.5 million euros was fixed for KSC. Ultimately, the transfer was carried out independently of the fixed purchase option. "Shio has developed convincingly in the second half of the season and has thereby awakened legitimate interest from other clubs. The renegotiation of the transfer conditions was challenging. That Timon Pauls and his team have developed a solution that is advantageous for KSC, I am very pleased. We are happy that we have been able to bind a promising player to the club in the long term", explains Sports Director Mario Eggimann.