Zion Suzuki has had to overcome costly mistakes and racist abuse on the way to becoming the most expensive Japanese goalkeeper in history.

The 23-year-old will be the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League when he seals his move to Aston Villa from Italian team Parma for up to 35 million euros ($40 million).

He is set to sign a five-year contract, The Athletic said, with current Villa number one Emiliano Martinez possibly leaving.

Suzuki, who was previously linked with Manchester United, was born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother and moved to Japan at a young age.

After coming through Japanese football he moved to Belgium then Italy and has already won 28 caps for his country.

Suzuki, who appeared set to join Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain before Villa came calling, believes he has the tools to make it in the Premier League.

“Of course big saves are important but above all I want to become a goalkeeper who brings stability to the team,” Suzuki told FIFA’s website ahead of the World Cup, where he played a central role in Japan reaching the last 32.

“Doing the simple things well consistently. Playing with the determination not to concede.”

Suzuki rose through the ranks at J. League side Urawa Reds and made his international debut after only a handful of appearances for his club.

He moved to Belgian side Sint-Truiden in 2023 despite reported interest from United, reasoning that he wanted to get more experience as a first choice.

He was handed Japan’s number one jersey for the Asian Cup in January 2024 but turned in a series of blundering performances before they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The young stopper suffered online racial abuse after a group-stage defeat to Iraq.

Suzuki said of the abuse: “I’m not about to let it beat me.

“I want to come back at them by producing good results.”

– Mental strength –

Suzuki continued as Japan’s number one after the Asian Cup and gradually built up his reputation.

He moved to Parma in 2024 to become the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in Italy’s Serie A.

His team-mates called him “animale” because of his muscular 6ft 3ins frame.

Suzuki broke his hand in late 2025 but returned in time for this summer’s World Cup and excelled as Japan progressed from a group that also included the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden.

He again impressed against Brazil in the last 32 but could not prevent his team from going out 2-1 after conceding a 95th-minute winner to Gabriel Martinelli.

His imminent transfer to Villa means he will become only the second Japanese goalkeeper to play in English professional football, following Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi’s short stint with second-tier Portsmouth in the early 2000s.

Suzuki, whose first language is Japanese but speaks English, says he learnt from his early shortcomings.

“At the beginning I made a series of mistakes and showed my inexperience as Japan’s first-choice goalkeeper,” he told FIFA’s website.

“Now I feel I can bring a sense of stability to the team through my mentality.”

Speaking as his reputation grew in Serie A, Suzuki said his aim was to be the best goalkeeper in the world.

“I want to be the best both as an individual and as a team, winning titles like the Champions League and World Cup,” he said.

AFP