Former West Ham and Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller is, according to Rudy Galetti, set for a new challenge. Galetti is reporting that the former West Ham man will be leaving Utrecht and heading east to play in the J League. Haller, who spent last season with Utrecht, will leave Europe and sign for a year with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, with the sides agreeing to add an option for a further year.

Haller joined Utrecht from Broussia Dortmund permanently last summer, having spent the back end of the 2024/2025 season on loan at the club. During that brief loan period, Haller had scored six goals in 18 games. Last season he only managed one in 33 games. Haller had been a Utrecht player before, from 2015 to 2017. After scoring 51 goals for the club over a few seasons he left to join Eintracht Frankfurt. Haller was a great success in the Bundesliga, scoring 33 goals in 77 games over two season. This led him to move to the Premier League and join West Ham.

Unfortunately for Haller and West Ham, the success the Ivorian striker had found in Germany was not replicated in England. After just 14 goals in 54 games for West Ham, Haller returned to Dutch football with Ajax. Once again, he exploded into form, with 47 goals in just 66 games. Borussia Dortmund brought him back to Germany, where his time was curtailed by a period of illness with testicular cancer. Thankfully Haller made a full recovery, and eventually left Borussia Dortmund with 12 goals in 41 games. He also briefly spent six months in La Liga with Leganes, but failed to score.

Haller now departs Europe for Japan and a new adventure.