Klopp behind the million-euro deal bringing Thai international to Japan

Striker Suphanat Mueanta is set to begin a new phase in his career after finalizing his move from Buriram United to RB Omiya Ardija in Japan. Significantly, the transfer involves the involvement of Jurgen Klopp, who serves as Red Bull's Global Director of Football.

According to Sky Sport (Germany), RB Omiya Ardija has reached an agreement to sign Suphanat for a transfer fee of around 1 million euros. The 23-year-old striker will sign a contract until 2030, marking one of the biggest deals involving a Thai player in recent times.

This news was quickly reported by Thai media and various Southeast Asian football outlets. Accordingly, Suphanat will become the latest player to join the network of clubs under the Red Bull group, after the Japanese team officially renamed itself RB Omiya Ardija following Red Bull's takeover.

The notable point of the deal lies in the role of Jurgen Klopp. After leaving Liverpool, the German coach took on the position of Global Director of Football for the Red Bull system. According to Sky Sport, Klopp, together with former striker Mario Gomez, was involved in the professional evaluation and approval process for signing Suphanat. However, sources do not suggest that Klopp directly negotiated the transfer; instead, he played a decisive professional role within Red Bull's player recruitment system.

After completing the contract, Suphanat traveled to Germany to join RB Omiya Ardija for a pre-season training camp at RB Leipzig's training center from June 26 to July 8. This also gave the Thai international the opportunity to work directly with Red Bull's player development experts and to meet Jurgen Klopp.

Suphanat was born in 2002, emerged from the Buriram United academy, and is considered one of the most outstanding talents in Thai football. Previously, he spent time on loan at OH Leuven (Belgium), another club within the Red Bull ecosystem. With his experience playing in Europe, Suphanat is expected to quickly adapt to the Japanese football environment.

In the 2026 season, RB Omiya Ardija is competing for the top spots in J.League 2 and aims to secure promotion. The signing of Suphanat is seen as a move to strengthen the attacking force for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, Thai media have also expressed hope that this deal will open more opportunities for Southeast Asian players to access Red Bull's training and player development system.

However, moving to play in Japan could also affect Suphanat's plans to join the Thai national team for the 2026 AFF Cup if the club and national team schedules overlap.