Seiya Maikuma

Seiya Maikuma made his name at V-Varen Nagasaki, where 74 league appearances and six goals over two seasons earned him a free transfer to Cerezo Osaka in January 2022. There he settled quickly, matching that appearance tally with 74 league matches and four goals, and by 2023 was named to the J.League Best XI — recognition that also fed into a call-up to the Japan national team, for whom he had earned eight caps by February 2024 and was included in the squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

AZ Alkmaar signed him from Cerezo Osaka in June 2024, with the move completed on a fee of around €800,000 and a contract running to the middle of 2028. The transition to the Eredivisie went smoothly: he was named to the Eredivisie Team of the Season for 2024–25 after establishing himself as a regular, making 37 league appearances that season and 57 in all competitions. That campaign also brought AZ to the final of the 2024–25 KNVB Cup, where they lost to Go Ahead Eagles on penalties in April 2025.

Maikuma has since added a Johan Cruyff Shield to his AZ record, following the club's 4–0 win over PSV Eindhoven in August 2026. His time in the Netherlands has not been without setbacks, however: knee problems have cost him significant playing time, including a lengthy 192-day absence during the 2025/26 season. Across his career to date, he has never been sent off.