Gamba Osaka have announced that they have signed provisional contracts with youth team defender Kaita Maruoka and midfielders Kosuke Murata and Yoshiki Fujimoto, confirming their promotion to the first team during the 2026/27 season.
All three players are from Osaka Prefecture and commented through the club:
Maruoka:
“I'm delighted to have earned promotion to the first team and to be starting my professional career at a club I've admired since I was a child. I'm truly grateful to my family and everyone who has supported me along the way. I'll work as hard as I can every day so that I can play for Gamba Osaka as soon as possible and help the team keep winning. Thank you for your support.”
Murata:
“I'm delighted to be moving up from Gamba Osaka Youth to the first team. It's a dream come true to begin my professional career at a club with such a proud history, and I'm sincerely grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way. I'll take great pride in representing Gamba Osaka and work hard every day with determination so that I can contribute to the team's success as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.”
Fujimoto:
“I'm delighted to have earned promotion to the first team and to be starting my professional career at such a historic club. I'm sincerely grateful to my family, coaches, teammates and everyone who has supported me along the way. I'll keep working hard every day so that I can help Gamba Osaka win as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.”
