GLASGOW — The English Premier League has always attracted footballers from all over the world. Strong finances, backed by lucrative television rights packages at home and abroad, afford Premier League clubs the luxury of being able to pay high transfer fees and generous wages to players.
This has resulted in a competitive league that is watched by soccer fans across the planet. Fans demand their clubs locate and sign the best talent available, meaning global scouting networks are employed to identify suitable players.
Soccer stars from Japan have not been ignored by Premier League scouts. Since its inception in 1992, up to the 2024-25 kickoff, the Premier League has featured 13 Japanese footballers.
The 2024-25 season began on August 16. At the time of writing, each club has played one fixture. It is therefore an appropriate time to look at four Japanese players, two in their debut seasons in England and two who have been in the league since 2021, who will hope to play major roles for their respective clubs this season.
Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton and Hove Albion and Takehiro Tomiyasu of Arsenal both have more than 50 Premier League appearances to their name. They know the demands of the league while new arrivals Yukinari Sugawara of Southampton and Daichi Kamada of Crystal Palace will be looking to integrate with their teammates quickly.
What are the expectations for each of these Japan national team players during the season in England?
Time to take a closer look at all four.
Kaoru Mitoma - Brighton and Hove Albion
Oita Prefecture native Mitoma is beginning his third season with south coast-based club Brighton. Although signed by Brighton in 2021, Mitoma spent the 2021-22 season on loan to Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise.
Mitoma, who plays as a left-sided attacker, showed his worth in Belgium and has been a regular in the Brighton starting lineup since the beginning of the 2022-23 season. Up to this point, Mitoma has provided the club with great value, considering the modest £3 million GBP ($3.96 million USD, or ¥573 million JPY) transfer fee paid to Kawasaki Frontale for his services.
During the 2022-23 season, Mitoma contributed seven goals and six assists in 33 Premier League appearances. His performance level drew praise from many of the media outlets that cover the league.
Injuries, namely an ankle issue and a persistent back problem, blighted Mitoma's 2023-24 season. He only managed 19 appearances for Brighton, scoring three goals and assisting a further four.
Mitoma's 2024-25 campaign got off to a positive start as he opened the scoring for Brighton in an impressive 3-0 away win at Everton on August 17.
Mitoma Has to Look to Emulate or Better His 2022-23 Numbers This Season
For Brighton fans and admirers of Mitoma, it was encouraging to see the 27-year-old start the season positively that first weekend.
Mitoma's performance drew praise from teammate Danny Welbeck. "He is a special talent and we all know the ability he has got," Welbeck was quoted as saying by Brighton's website.
The striker, who also scored against Everton added, "In one vs ones there's not many better in the Premier League and it's great to have him back and adding to the firepower we have got."
Assuming Mitoma takes confidence from the Everton game, he should be a major contributor this season. Now playing under his third manager for Brighton, Mitoma was deployed in his favorite position on the left just behind central striker Welbeck by new manager Fabian Hurzeler in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Early indications are good for Mitoma and Brighton this season. Hopefully, his injury issues are behind him. If so, look for Mitoma to star and Brighton to comfortably finish in the top half of the Premier League this season.
Takehiro Tomiyasu - Arsenal
Tomiyasu, 25, made solid contributions during his first three seasons with Arsenal.
The man from Fukuoka Prefecture joined the London club from Italian Serie A club Bologna for £18 million (about $23.8 million, or ¥3.5 billion) in August 2021.
Signed as a right-back, but proving he is versatile enough to play anywhere on defense, Tomiyasu has played 64 times in the Premier League for Arsenal.
Although not guaranteed to feature when everyone is fit and available, over the course of a long, demanding season, Tomiyasu is an ideal squad player for manager Mikel Arteta to call upon.
Arsenal, which ran eventual league winner Manchester City close last season, will be looking to improve upon that this season and win the Premier League title.
Tomiyasu is a Highly Regarded Squad Member at Arsenal
To win a league championship, every member of the playing squad needs to make a positive contribution when called upon.
If Tomiyasu plays between 20 to 25 times in the Premier League this season, then he can consider that a worthwhile effort.
Underlining Arsenal's belief in Tomiyasu is the fact the Premier League club offered him a two-year contract extension in March 2024. Tomiyasu signed the extension and expressed his love for Arsenal.
"I'm so happy to extend my contract because Arsenal is one of the best clubs in the world," the defender told reporters shortly after his extension was confirmed.
Tomiyasu continued, "The connection between the players and supporters is [at] a different level. I'm playing for Arsenal and that means I'm playing for the Arsenal supporters."
Arteta also spoke highly of Tomiyasu after he extended his deal with the club: "Together with his natural ability and strength, Tomi's attitude, mentality and values are first-class," the Spanish manager said, according to BBC Sport.
Arteta continued, "Tomi is loved by everyone and has been an integral part of the squad since joining us."
With the player and the club happy with one another, expect Tomiyasu to perform well when he is called upon this season. Who knows, he might earn himself a league title winner's medal in the process.
Daichi Kamada - Crystal Palace
Having joined Crystal Palace on a free transfer from Lazio on July 1, Kamada is taking his first steps in the Premier League.
This shouldn't be a problem for the vastly experienced 28-year-old who has been playing in European soccer since 2017.
Ehime Prefecture native Kamada enjoyed the most successful period of his career in Europe while playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. For two of his four seasons in Germany, Kamada was managed by Austrian coach Oliver Glasner, who is now the boss at Crystal Palace.
Kamada Needs to Bounce Back From Serie A Disappointment
After tipping Kamada to succeed in Italy, it was disappointing to see him fail to live up to his previous standards at Lazio during the 2023-24 campaign. Of his 29 appearances, Kamada started 17 and featured from the bench in the remaining 12.
Reuniting with Glasner gives Kamada an opportunity to quickly regain his reputation as a world-class midfielder, capable of supplying his attackers with quality passes.
Crystal Palace was drifting toward the wrong end of the league table last season before Glasner arrived in February 2024 to steady the ship. Ending the campaign on a seven-game unbeaten run, Palace fans will hope Glasner can guide the club to a top-10 finish this season.
Opening with a 2-1 defeat at Brentford on August 18, Kamada started in an advanced midfield position and played for 70 minutes in his Premier League debut.
If he finds his feet quickly in England's top flight, Kamada should once again get the best out of himself under the management of Glasner.
Yukinari Sugawara - Southampton
Aichi Prefecture native Sugawara was signed by newly promoted Southampton on July 14 for £7 million (about $9.25, or ¥1.3 billion) from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
Sugawara, who plays as a right-back, represented Alkmaar over 100 times during his four seasons in the Netherlands.
The 24-year-old made his Southampton debut on August 17, starting the fixture against Newcastle, but being substituted at halftime.
That match, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Southampton, saw Sugawara employed as a right wing-back in manager Russell Martin's 3-5-2 formation.
A Season of Struggle Ahead for Sugawara and Southampton?
Traditionally, teams who are promoted from English football's second tier tend to struggle in the Premier League. There is a large gulf in quality between the two leagues.
With his club adjusting to a new league and Sugawara needing to find his feet fast in a new country and league, the coming weeks will be challenging for both club and player.
A realistic aim for Southampton this season would be to just finish above the Premier League's relegation zone (17th place or above).
Sugawara is a player Southampton targeted to help it achieve that goal.
"Yuki is a player we have watched for a long time and was our number-one target in his position," manager Martin told the Southampton website in July.
Martin concluded, "He arrives at a good age with a lot of games already under his belt at a high level. [And] he's a talented footballer with a great mentality."
One Last Thing…
With the transfer window remaining open until close of business on August 30 in most of the major European leagues, there is still a chance that more Japanese players could make their way to the Premier League.
At the time of writing, Wataru Endo, who's featured in this SportsLook piece on his 2023-24 campaign, is still a Liverpool player although it is believed new manager Arne Slot doesn't see him as part of his long-term plans. Endo was an unused substitute in Liverpool's opening league fixture.
In the past few days, Celtic's Japan internationals Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi have been strongly linked to English Premier League teams by the UK media.
After three seasons in Scotland, the two players are reportedly wanted in England. Hatate is being linked to Leicester City, while Furuhashi is said to be a target for Manchester City.
It is only speculation at the moment, but the next week will reveal if there is any substance to these rumors.
If any moves of note do happen regarding Japanese footballers to the Premier League, then SportsLook will report the news and relevant details. Keep us bookmarked!
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Author: Colin Morrison
Morrison is a freelance sportswriter. Find his stories on SportsLook. Writing since 2016, his byline currently appears on FightsATW.com where he covers boxing. Morrison has previously written for NYFights.com and spitballingpod.com. His main areas of interest are boxing, soccer, golf and rugby union. Morrison is from Scotland and can be found on X (formerly Twitter) @Morrie1981.
