Japan are continuing to produce a plethora of talent that look destined to

play in Europe’s top leagues, and an Albirex Niigata winger could be the next one

More stars from the land of the rising sun are starting to emerge, but one of the most famous Japanese players to have played against Liverpool is still former Bolton star Hidetoshi Nakata. A growing number of Japanese athletes are traveling to Europe as a result of their country’s continued success at the senior and youth international levels.

Jürgen Klopp signed Wataru Endō and Takumi Minamino, the only other Japanese players who play for the Reds.

However, Liverpool should be keeping an eye on one of the most recent J

League standouts. Shunsuke Mito is distinguished by his distinct dribbling

technique, which allows him to swerve past his marker while appearing at ease

on both feet; his technical proficiency is still growing.

In addition to his consistent impact on games, the 21-year-old is already exhibiting excellent decision-making at the appropriate times, and all indications suggest that he has the potential to develop into one of the world’s best dribblers. It won’t be long before teams in Europe call him, as he has already won the Breakout Campaign Best Young Player award in the J League for 2023 earlier this month. His reputation is growing with every game.

Calciomercato reports that in addition to Brighton, Mito is being watched closely

by clubs in the Bundesliga and Belgium. They remember a time in October when

Mito’s team, Argentina U23, defeated them 5-2 in an international friendly.

Given that Kaoru Mitoma was recently acquired by Liverpool’s rivals Union St-

Gilloise prior to his move to England, interest from Belgium would make sense. That suggests that the Belgian team, who

are presently leading their league at home, are using a scouting strategy that

allows them to find gems by searching areas where others aren’t.

At the youth level, Japan’s impressive victory over the reigning world

champions suggests that a trend of Samurai Blue players becoming noticed

by elite clubs earlier could be developing.

 

Wataru Endo was traveling from Stuttgart when Liverpool supporters used social media in August to track a

plane that was bound for Merseyside. With his fellow countrymen Takehiro

Tomiyasu (Arsenal) and Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), he was the third active

Japanese player to arrive in England’s top flight.

One of the more recent examples who has already shown his mettle in the Premier League is Mitoma, who put on several impressive displays against Liverpool. He has played in the league for the same amount of games as Luis Díaz this season, but he has contributed seven goals to the score compared to the Colombian’s three.

Of course, Díáz is still returning to form from his lengthy injury spell last season and has had other off-field issues to deal with. As seen with Virgil van Dijk’s stellar displays so far, it can take some time for players to get back to their best— particularly when previous levels were so high.

 

Should Liverpool add Mito, Klopp could avoid paying a significant transfer sum later down the line. Even if he is not quite ready for the physicality of the Premier League just yet, there are signs that he could be the next Japan star on his way to Europe, and the Reds would also be able to loan him out to garner experience.

Mito, a player whose style of play is influenced by Messi, may be the next

addition to the Liverpool roster that keeps them dominant without having to

spend as much as some of the country’s state-funded teams. Not only does Mito

have the potential to be Mohamed Salah’s right flank replacement in the

future, but he can also play a variety of roles, giving Klopp an exciting new

project to work on and making him the newest rising star in Japanese football.