J-League club Oita Trinita are believed to be interested in former Jubilo Iwata midfielder Naoya Kikuchi.

The 24-year old has been recently playing in Germany with 3.Bundesliga outfit FC Carl Zeiss Jena after being banned from playing in Japan for a year following a sex scandal.

Kikuchi was arrested in June 2007 and charged with statutory rape on a 15-year old schoolgirl and was indicted but released days later.

Now, it seems he will be given a second chance as Oita are set to swoop.

"We don't want to see such a talented young player go to waste," Oita official Yasushi Hara told Wednesday's Nikkan Sports newspaper. "We want to give him a chance."