2026 will soon be between us, but with a big news: the calendar will change. No more a February-December season, but rather a six months-break to accommodate the passage to the August-May calendar. And in the middle, a FIFA World Cup to play in North America. That’s why for many players the next year will be crucial, as well as the choices they will take to proceed with their careers on the pitch.
Clubs will look towards new heroes, possible bargains, and players will look towards fresh starts and/or reboots. In the end, which better time than this one, given the impromptu change of calendar? That’s indeed what we’re gonna talk about in “Market Week”, a two-days festival over possible moves, why they should happen and the players to watch out for next Winter.
After the first part (you can find it here) around players who might need new beginnings, we talk this time around about the “Loan Market”. We’re gonna mention the players who don’t need a clear cut, but rather some motivation to improve somewhere else, or to come back to their own clubs – because they have done good deeds in 2025.
Loans decide careers, they shape the history of players, and sometimes they even end them. Let’s start with the section called “Revitalize”, which features players between 19 and 24 years old, with less than 10 league games played until now, and all coming from J1 – but looking to a J2 loan.
Gaku Nawata
Gamba Osaka
Striker | Age: 19
The Past – Born in Kagoshima, Nawata was one of the gems of the Kamimura Gakuen Junior High School, well-renowned for young prospects. There were so many expectations that he played there for six years, plus a solid showing in the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup and the FIFA U-17 World Cup of the same year. “The Guardian” put him into the 60 players-list of kids to watch for the future in 2023, but he featured just three times this season in J1.
Why going on loan? – Because Gamba is clearly not counting on him, but the potential is there. And if you want to develop it, Kawata needs to play, especially given how other talents haven’t been to gather too much playing time (Takashi Usami, Shu Kurata, Juan Alano, Makoto Mitsuta are already a mountain enough high to climb).
Where to next? – Sagan Tosu might be a first solution; especially given they’ve been able to develop several players and they have an optimal culture to nurture talent (their academy is one of the best in Japan).
Takumi Nakamura
Cerezo Osaka
Right-back | Age: 24
The Past – Among these names, he’s surely the one with the most experience in J1. He’s had already almost 50 games in J1 under his belt between FC Tokyo and Yokohama FC, but he hasn’t established himself as a reliable starting option. Furthermore, the move to Osaka felt wrong, because Nakamura doesn’t seem to match what Arthur Papas would like from a right-back – in fact, Hayato Okuda has taken that spot for himself.
Why going on loan? – Things didn’t work out at Cerezo and honestly it’s a struggle to give him a clear tactical position. There might be also the possibility that Nakamura isn’t really a right-back, but rather a right centre-back on a three-CBs formation. And if that’s the case, staying at Cerezo Osaka is the last thing needed, especially with a lot of competition in his role.
Where to next? – We have to understand first what will happen in 2026 (since they just fired Daiki Iwamasa), but Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo could be a nice environment to re-start his career. This will work particularly well if Sapporo will stick to their tradition of playing 3-4-2-1; in that case, in J2, Nakamura could become an asset and repurpose his career.
Kashif Bangnagande
FC Tokyo
Left-back | Age: 23
The Past – Once upon a time, he was supposed to be the heir of Yuto Nagatomo in terms of possible growth, role comparison, and potential; he even debuted for Japan back in 2023, in a friendly game against Colombia. But now we’re far away from that reality, given how Bangnagande played just seven league matches this season. And if 17 games in J1 were encouraging back in 2022, they’re certainly not now. Plus, even if Nagatomo will be 40 next year, he’s still pretty much involved into the rotation.
Why going on loan? – Something stopped along the way (injuries as well) and there’s the need to kick-start it again. Surely Rikizo Matsuhashi is the right man to develop young talent – look at the work he’s done with Albirex Niigata in three years –, but it might also well be that Bangnagande will need a year out just to cement his profile.
Where to next? – They could still make the play-offs, but FC Imabari would be a solid starting point, since they don’t have wonderful choices on the left-flank of defence and the club is anyway ambitious for a small J2 reality.
Shuto Tanabe
Kawasaki Frontale
Right-back | Age: 23
The Past – Tanabe was scouted by Kawasaki Frontale after winning the Japanese High School Championship and firstly appeared for the U-18 of Japan. He played just few games before moving on loan to JEF United Chiba mid-2022. A firstly successful loan was renewed, but Tanabe barely played in 2023 and came back to Frontale, where though it was impossible for him to find a proper space in such a loaded team.
Why going on loan? – He clearly needs time on the pitch. You could almost say that, despite being a pro for the last 4.5 years, we have seen him playing with continuity just for six months in Chiba. And there’s definitely more to see, especially with Frontale having already solid options on his role like the starting right-back, Sai van Wermeskerken, but also adapted options like Asahi Sasaki and Kento Tachibanada.
Where to next? – Tough to say. You’d need a club who would definitely invest in you, fully. I can imagine one of the newly-promoted teams giving Tanabe a shot, especially if that newly-promoted team will be Vanraure Hachinohe – who might not have a lot of money to build a J2 team and they might rely on loans to survive.
Kengo Furuyama
Cerezo Osaka
Striker | Age: 23
The Past – We throw in there a last name emergency, since other targets moved throughout the Summer window. Kengo Furuyama was born in Osaka and picked football over basketball; he started watching Cerezo Osaka because his soccer club was connected with the squad. The kid who grew up seeing Kiyotake and Kagawa has now played with them, joining Cerezo in 2025 as a first team member after playing for the Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences.
Why going on loan? – Well, being a rookie, it wasn’t expected to see him that much on the pitch. Nevertheless, Furuyama scored already in J1 away at Kyoto Sanga, plus another one in the Emperor’s Cup match against Arterivo Wakayama. At the same time, though, Cerezo Osaka can already count on Rafael Ratão, who’s been a solid replacement for Leo Ceara and played all matches but one (!) in all competitions for the side coached by Arthur Papas.
Where to next? – The Brazilian won’t leave, and if he’s healthy, he’s the clear number one choice. Furuyama could maybe repeat an experiment already going at Iwaki FC, where Nelson Ishiwatari has been loaned to from Cerezo Osaka, and he’s having a wonderful year. And Iwaki has five centre-forwards who put together just five goals, they would need help. Could a loan to Fukushima Prefecture propel Furuyama’s career as well?
Harumi Minamino
Gamba Osaka
Striker, winger | Age: 21
The Past – No relationship with Takumi, Harumi Minamino was another gem nurtured by the youth ranks of Gamba Osaka. When he signed a pro contract back in 2022, he was first loaned to Tegevajaro Miyazaki in J3, where he did very well. Then he was loaned again for 2024, this time in J2 with Tochigi SC; in both experience you could see a gradual growth. Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked out with Gamba Osaka – he started just one match in J1 and played nine times.
Why going on loan? – As mentioned already for Kawata, there’s no space upfront at Gamba Osaka. Plus there’s another problem: if Kawata has this “golden kid” status around him, that’s not the case for Minamino, who worked very hard to get his spots in his loans. Rather than staying in a place where it’s hard the coach will change, better to give it a try somewhere else.
Where to next? – Minamino was able to shine both in Miyazaki and Tochigi despite playing for teams that didn’t exactly thrive. We can imagine Blaublitz Akita having the need of new talent upfront, especially after having lost Ren Komatsu mid-season to Vissel Kobe. And if they’ll be able to maintain their spot in J2, they’ll definitely need help to strengthen their forwards department.
The other section is called “Prodigal Sons”, which features players who were on loan this season from J1 clubs and deserve to come back for a new chapter in their home teams. You might see the absence of some prospects.
Tatsunori Sakurai
Vissel Kobe
Defensive midfielder | Age: 23
The Past – Sakurai has been into the Vissel Kobe squad since 2021, when he put together nine games in all competitions. Then he had to experience three seasons on loan: two at Tokushima Vortis (2022 went better than 2023), only to then go to loan again to Mito HollyHock mid-2024, when it was clear there was no space for him on a defending champions team. 2025 pitched another J2 travel, this time to Sagan Tosu.
Why coming back? – For mostly two reasons. The first one is that the loan in Kyushu is going very well: Sakurai featured in all games but one of the J2 League season, so he’s clearly earned the trust of head coach Akio Kogiku in a play-off team. Secondly, while Sakurai is just 23 years old and with already four pro-seasons under his belt, Vissel Kobe’s roster isn’t getting any younger.
What’s next? – More than half of the roster in Kobe is over 30. That’s normal for a team who always relied on aging stars, a strategy that worked out and brought two championships… but captain Hotaru Yamaguchi left last Winter, Takahiro Ogihara turns 34 in a few weeks, Yosuke Ideguchi is 29, and other youngsters didn’t play that much. Only Yuya Kawasaki expanded the rotation, and Sakurai could be helpful for that.
Ota Yamamoto
Kashiwa Reysol
Striker | Age: 21
The Past – Kashiwa Reysol often produced good youngsters, and Yamamoto is no exception. 14 goals in 21 games in the 2022 Takamado U18 tournament, the striker then debuted the successive season, when Nelsinho gave him some minutes in J1 and Yamamoto scored as well a goal in the Emperor’s Cup (he even featured in the final!). Same scenario in 2024, with two goals in the national cup, plus a loan mid-season to Tochigi SC, and the first league goal in the second division against Renofa Yamaguchi.
Why coming back? – Funnily enough, it was Renofa Yamaguchi who scooped him up on loan for the 2025 season. Yamamoto had a certain impact in a struggling side like Yamaguchi, who already went through a change of manager and who could leave J2 after a decade in the league. J3 football won’t benefit him, and 18 months in J2 should have been a decent preparation for a full J1 season.
What’s next? – That’s a nice bet to make for head coach Ricardo Rodriguez at Reysol. If the club will be able to qualify to any continental competition, they’ll surely need a long roster, and if you put the possible departure of Mao Hosoya towards Europe (fingers crossed) on the table, Yuki Kakita will definitely need an alternative to play in the centre-forward role.
Ryunosuke Sato
FC Tokyo
Offensive midfielder | Age: 18
The Past – Whether Sato will become Takefusa Kubo or Rei Hirakawa, it’s still hard to tell. Surely the hype has been high for the FC Tokyo prodigy, who had his first taste of pro-football already in March 2023, when he played a couple of matches in the J.League Cup. The league debut came in August 2024, but FC Tokyo clearly preferred to loan him out, and that’s where Fagiano Okayama and their debut season in J1 came handy.
Why coming back? – Because for now it’s worked. Sato was loaned to Okayama with the expectation of some playing time, but head coach Takashi Kiyama placed him as a starter (by fielding him on both flanks) and Sato his proving himself (26 caps in J1, five goals). Furthermore, even Japan’s head coach Hajime Moriyasu took notes and called him for his JNT debut – first in a WCQ against Indonesia and then with the three games of the 2025 EAFF E-1 Championship, won by Japan.
What’s next? – Well, a lot of things are lining up positively for Sato. Rikizo Matsuhashi is surely the right man to develop young talent; the 4-3-3 will play into his strengths, and FC Tokyo need a bit of reinforcements, given the depressing Winter transfer market window in 2025. For different reasons, beside Kota Tawaratsumida, no one of the wing options right now seems the best – Sato could rapidly become one.
Ken Masui
Nagoya Grampus
Offensive midfielder, winger | Age: 24
The Past – Ok, Ken Masui isn’t just a player owned by Nagoya. He’s born in the Aichi Prefecture, he’s been a Nagoya Grampus fan his whole life, he was once of the ball kids coming in the pitch before games, and his favourite player is Keiji Tamada. He won youth tournaments with Grampus before enrolling into Kwansei Gakuin University, and then join Grampus back in 2024. 25 caps and two goals were not enough to convince Kenta Hasegawa to keep him, so here it was a loan.
Why coming back? – In the end, Júbilo Iwata were ready to take him on loan and Grampus approved the move. Masui proved himself in a dysfunctional team, who has been going up and down the ladder of Japanese football with no continuity. Six goals in 29 games are a solid start, and Nagoya should stop splashing the market and keep their talent around, especially when they have one.
What’s next? – Nagoya Grampus could be at a “year zero” in 2026. The 2025 season isn’t going well, and Kenta Hasegawa should be leaving (if the club’s board has two eyes to see what’s happening). If so, a new head coach could be a good chance for Masui to start over, especially if Grampus will take a look at all the offensive player they bought and how they underperformed (e.g. Tsukasa Morishima, Masahito Ono, Yuya Asano – do you really need them when you have Mateus?).
Kota Kudo
Urawa Red Diamonds
Centre-back | Age: 22
The Past – It’s not easy to become a J.Leaguer if you come from the Wakayama Prefecture, one of the few to not have yet a pro team. But it’s even harder if you try to do so with Urawa Red Diamonds, the most followed club in Japan. Kudo joined their youth ranks and then debuted in the J.League Cup before going on loan for three consecutive seasons. In 2023, his stint with Fujieda MYFC wasn’t super, but he did very well with Giravanz Kitakyushu in J3.
Why coming back? – With great surprise, Kudo found a new loan, but this time in the top-flight, joining Fagiano Okayama in 2025. Head coach Takashi Kiyama heavily relied on him, making him a starter alongside more expert Yugo Tatsuta. It’s worked until now, although Kudo found himself back on the bench in the last 2-3 games. Nothing that he can’t shake off.
What’s next? – It wouldn’t be bad to stay another season in Okayama, given they’ll retain their spot in the top-flight and they would benefit from some continuity. Nonetheless, Urawa Reds would really need some youngsters to come back, and find new people at the back, because the season by Danilo Boza and Høibråten has been tough to watch.
Jun Nishikawa
Cerezo Osaka
Winger | Age: 23
The Past – There’s a dynasty of talented midfielders who wore the no. 8 at Cerezo Osaka after Hiroaki Morishima. Those names are Shinji Kagawa, Takashi Inui, Hiroshi Kiyotake (Takumi Minamino would have been there), and others. I guess the next one was supposed to be Jun Nishikawa, who came out in 2018 as the MVP of the winning Japanese side at the 2018 AFC U-17 Championship. After that, a blur: a lot of J3 with the U-23, three loans and yet he’s not back to Osaka. For now.
Why coming back? – Cerezo Osaka have been waiting for him to blossom since they signed him. Big European clubs, in different years, tried to sign him (Bayer Leverkusen and FC Barcelona), but he refused to stay in Japan. Now, is this a refusal like Shoya Nakajima going to Qatar to live a quiet life instead of European football or a preparation to better things? This third loan – the second one at Sagan Tosu, but this time in J2 – is giving us some hope. After a solid 2024 with Iwaki FC, he’s keeping his production levels even with a play-off team.
What’s next? – After such a hype, time is running short. The chips won’t always be there pledging for Nishikawa’s ascending talent, so it’s time to give a sign. If he does well and Arthur Papas takes him back at Cerezo, Nishikawa MUST succeed. Not so much to reach the national team, but maybe to avoid another Hiroki Abe-sque case, in which talent briefly sparkled only to bring us everyone down, back to reality.
“Market Week” is done for 2025 – you noticed how we ditched the format over players to Europe (Japan has becoming too good for that, but hopefully more nations will come to represent their countries in the J.League). If you want to look at this format from previous years, enjoy the reading in this category here.
