Ballarat City learned of the transfer before its 2-1 loss to Goulburn Valley on Saturday.

Exactly which club has attained the services of the centre-forward is yet to be made public, however The Courier understands his new contract will include a monetary sum.

The Japanese bred player came to Ballarat City in January after signing with the club's National Premier League 2 team.

Ballarat City coach James Robinson said Ballarat City is unique compared to other clubs because they don't pay their players.

He said the club can be proud that they've been able to provide Hosoai an environment and a platform to succeed.

"It's a credit to all the other players because within that process they've created a lot of opportunities and goal-scoring opportunities for Riki, and he's taken them and caught the attention of other football clubs," he said.

Ballarat City will use the remaining two weeks of the transfer period to find a replacement for Hosoai for the remainder of the season.

Robinson said the club is being proactive to find a player who can provide experience and mentorship to the younger players on the list.

"We want to know that the quality that we bring in is going to be of an experience that's going to add value on top of what we have to guide younger players through," he said.