Dundee United are closing in on a move to sign Japanese World Cup goalkeeper.
The 32-year-old has been without a club since leaving Belgian outfit Standard Liege in the summer and is reportedly now heading for Tannadice.
Mixu Paatelainen will have to wait for the shot stopper - capped more than 70 times for Japan - to be awarded a work permit before he can complete his first deal since replacing Jackie McNamara as manager.
However, that should still be a mere formality for a player who started all three of the Samurai Blues' group games during last year's World Cup in Brazil.
Kawashima was at Tannadice on Saturday to watch United register their first win since August, a 1-0 result against Ross County.
However, according to a United source, he has "no chance" of featuring against Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final opponents Hibernian or in Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Aberdeen, as the club waits for the relevant paperwork to be processed.
United have struggled to fill the number one slot since former first-choice stopper Radoslaw Cierzniak returned to his homeland to sign for Polish outfit Wisla Krakow in the summer.
Youngsters Luis Zwick and Michal Szromnik have both been handed the goalkeeper's jersey at times this season but neither has looked totally commanding.
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