Latvian champions FC RFS have secured their first offseason signing with the addition of Yukiyoshi Karashima, a 27-year-old Japanese defensive midfielder.
Karashima joins from FK Žalgiris Vilnius, Lithuania’s most decorated football club. In the 2024 season, he was a key player for Žalgiris, helping the team win the A Lyga title. He played 34 league matches, contributed one goal and one assist, and clocked a remarkable 2,989 minutes. Across all competitions, including the Lithuanian Cup and UEFA Conference League qualifiers, he made 40 appearances.
Before his time at Žalgiris, Karashima had two productive seasons with FC Hegelmann, where he showcased a more attacking side of his game, scoring 15 goals in league play. In total, his Lithuanian career comprised 131 league matches, 17 goals, and 8 assists, solidifying his reputation as one of the top midfielders in the Baltic region.
This move marks Karashima’s return to Latvia, where he briefly played in 2020 for Dinamo Riga in the Nākotnes Līga. With a strong familiarity with Baltic football and the city of Riga, Karashima is well-prepared to make an immediate impact at RFS and is set to replace Adam Markhiyev in the central-midfield.
The club has signed Karashima to a two-year contract, and he will join the team’s training sessions in early January.