It’s not easy to spot a potential bargain in the transfer market, but the Winter acquisitions in Japanese football move a lot of players. This happens because contracts are often just one year-deals, so you can always seek your chance to improve. But you might also be fearing a decrease in your career, so it’s not easy to balance expectations and anxiety.
Despite that, there have been many interesting moves. J. League Regista tried to chase 10 for every division, trying to diversify the transfers to watch (not more than one for every possible club). Here’s what we’ve got for 2019 season.
J1 League
10. Gakuto Notsuda: from Vegalta Sendai to Sanfrecce Hiroshima (back from loan)
I remember 2014 season and especially the Japanese Super Cup. Two youngsters were amazing for that game: Takuma Asano and Gakuto Notsuda were tipped to be the next big thing of Japanese football.
If Asano kept partially faith to his premises (injuries and bad tactical management in Stuttgart slow him down massively), Notsuda seem totally lost between loans and his uninspiring performances in Hiroshima. Somehow, he came back from that low point through a solid year in Sendai. Can he repeat himself and become a resource for Jofuku?
09. Takefusa Kubo: from Yokohama F. Marinos to FC Tokyo (back from loan)
It’s a recent news that Kubo is tipped to come back to Barcelona in the next Summer, but you wonder if he’s really ready to impose himself. There’s certainly something attractive in his skills, but after two years between first team and reserves in Tokyo – plus six months in Yokohama, where he found his first goal in J1 –, you probably expect him to shine in these three months left on his schedule.
Last but not least, FC Tokyo – a club which almost didn’t move in the last Winter market – would badly need a spark from their wonder boy to avoid a rhythm like the one we witnessed in the second part of 2018 season.
08. Yamato Machida: from JEF United Chiba to Matsumoto Yamaga
One of my favourites players in J2, Machida has finally a chance to shine in a club of J1 which would need his sparkles to avoid a relegation: unlike 2015, Matsumoto finally seem competitive to avoid the worst outcome possible. And Machida could really help them in achieving this goal.
07. Koya Yuruki: from Montedio Yamagata to Urawa Red Diamonds
For now it’s only a seventh place, but this might be a bargain move in two-three years. Yuruki impressed me a lot in Montedio: he’s light, even too much, but his technique and understanding of the game is amazing. In a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 – with a manager like Oswaldo de Oliveira –, he could properly grow to become a gem.
06. Ado Onaiwu: from Urawa Red Diamonds to Oita Trinita (on loan)
After making a big splash in Yamaguchi under Shimoda, Onaiwu is searching the same goal form in Oita. It won’t be easy, because Trinita are way over-powered for a relegation-side (I’m curious to see Goto and Fujimoto in J1), but if he could find the same inspiration under Katanosaka… nothing would be impossible for the club.
I’m sure Urawa Red Diamonds will watch closely, giving how Kuroki is amazing, but he isn’t getting any younger and Sugimoto is discontinuous.
05. Leandro Damião: from Santos to Kawasaki Frontale
While there’s been a lot of rumour for Villa coming to Japan, Leandro Damião didn’t make the same splash in the news. Yet we’re talking of a striker under 30, once labeled as the next big thing for Brazil, coming to the best club in J1. With Kobayashi playing as a wing, Frontale might have picked a really good player to integrate into Oniki’s system.
Doubts? Some. Leandro Damião found his scoring form back only in 2018, so he might disappoint in his adjustment to Japanese football. But Kawasaki needed to bet big after two championships in a row. And the Brazilian said how the offer from Frontale was “unrefusable”.
04. Tatsuya Tanaka: from Roasso Kumamoto to Gamba Osaka
It might be stupid to say that a low table player in J2 could change something for a squad which won a lot of games in the second part of 2018 season, but… Gamba might have picked a joker. Tanaka’s blasting speed and work-rate are the kind of tools that make you win titles. He’ll be surely useful for Miyamoto.
03. Mateus: from Omiya Ardija to Nagoya Grampus
While Omiya sunk last year to the weight of expectations, Mateus actually confirmed everything good he was said on him. He was too of a superstar for J2, even if he was too overconfident at times. Can his immense energy adjust to a shaky strategy for Nagoya or it’ll be a complete meltdown? We’ll wait and see.
02. Elsinho: from Kawasaki Frontale to Shimizu S-Pulse
I honestly didn’t understand while Kawasaki weren’t able to retain Elsinho on their books; I actually thought he was going back to Brazil, but the ductile winger opted to stay in J1 and move to Shizuoka, where Shimizu needed a big signing. I don’t know if many of their surprising players will repeat their 2018 season, so having this add is huge for Jonsson and his club.
01. Koji Miyoshi: from Kawasaki Frontale to Yokohama F. Marinos
Just like for Elsinho, I don’t understand what’s the deal with Kawasaki and this young talent, but I’m deeply convinced that Miyoshi – a class ’97 with already two good seasons behind him in J1 – could be the next thing for Japanese football. Alongside Daichi Kamada, he’s the player we’ll want to see with the Nippon Daihyo.
Of course, he couldn’t stay with Frontale, given that Ienaga – 2018 MVP, tipped to accept an offer from other J1 clubs – opted to stay with Kawasaki and there wasn’t any space left. He came back from Sapporo and accepted the loan to Marinos: in Yokohama he’ll have the chance to be forged by Ange Postecoglou. If Marinos have a good chance to improve their position from last season, it’ll be because of this marriage.
J2 League
10. Keita Tanaka: from Mito HollyHock to FC Ryukyu
He was a legend in J3 with Ryukyu before the Okinawa side became also a winning one, rather than just being spectacular. Can he find himself again with his old colours?
09. Fréderic Bulot: from Tours to FC Gifu
It might be the kind of signing who gives you an unexpected advantage on your direct rivals. Or a chip put on the wrong table. I’d think we’re in front of the first case, especially given the kind of players Tetsuro Oki actually need after losing Kyogo Furuhashi and Paulo Junichi Tanaka in the span of six months.
08. Rei Yonezawa: from Cerezo Osaka to Kagoshima United FC
The right club to shine, the final chance to prove he’s not a J3-player. Yonezawa even opted to leave Cerezo for good in order to show he’s valuable for J2. Will he succeed? Kagoshima hope so, since the club was struggling a lot to get some goals before the arrival of Takuma Sonoda during last Summer.
07. Jeong Chung-geun: from Yokohama FC to Machida Zelvia
Machida might have taken a joker from the deck this time. The South Korean winger didn’t play too much in Yokohama due to the presence of many talented offensive interpreters, but in his loan to Fagiano Okayama he seemed having potential. It’s up to Naoki Soma exploiting it.
06. Leonardo: from Gainare Tottori to Albirex Niigata
Was it all a joke, a one-wonder hit, or Leonardo is the business Albirex need to at least dream of a play-off spot? Would he work in the jump between categories? Has Masayuki Okano achieved a great call in the transfer market, bringing the Brazilian to Tottori? The no. 9 in Niigata will have to answer all these questions.
05. Yuki Horigome: from Ventforet Kofu to JEF United Chiba
Consistency isn’t his best trait, but it was tough to pick a better successor to Yamato Machida’s reign of fantasy than Yuki Horigome. The kid isn’t a kid anymore – class ’92 –, but he has definitely the skills to bring JEF United forward. Will it be enough on the third year of Esnaider’s era?
04. Peter Utaka: from Tokushima Vortis to Ventforet Kofu
I was surprised to see how Tokushima baled out on Utaka, but the Nigerian striker has a good reputation in Japan and it wasn’t hard to find another gig in J2. I’d have loved to see Utaka under Nobuhiro Ueno, but unfortunately a change of manager will break the duo: never mind, the former Sanfrecce and Shimizu man has surely some aces in his sleeve.
03. Masato Kudo: from Sanfrecce Hiroshima to Renofa Yamaguchi (on loan)
Is this striker the same who was playing in MLS just three years ago? And the one who even scored with Japan six years ago, while being a decisive asset for Reysol? It seems like not water, but a cascade passed under the bridge of Kudo’s career. Yet this move could fit his style: playing as the main striker under Shinoda has worked for Ado Onaiwu, we’re waiting to see if Yamaguchi is the right call to put himself back on track.
02. Diego Jara Rodrigues: from Joinville to Tokushima Vortis
Ricardo Rodriguez must be very happy with this acquisition. It’s from the time of Kazuaki Mawatari that Vortis needed an agile, skilled winger with playmaking vision. Diego showed that with Mito HollyHock last season and he’ll be definitely an asset for Tokushima in the third episode of the juego de posición-experiment under the Spanish manager.
01. Haruya Ide: from Gamba Osaka to Montedio Yamagata
This is one of the strangest careers I’ve ever witnessed processing in the last 5-6 years. Ide was a talented lad when he was in Chiba, yet his move to Gamba backfired spectacularly. He was relegated playing J3-football for two whole years; given Gamba’s form until Miyamoto became the new manager, I don’t understand why.
He’s finally free from his Osaka nightmares after signing for Montedio. You might see that as a step back in his career, but Ide now can finally shine in J2, a category where he has already show he can make the difference. And working in Yamagata under manager Kiyama might bring him to the level he always lingered to.
J3 League
10. Takamasa Abiko: from Mito HollyHock to YSCC Yokohama
This might be the strangest move in the whole Japanese winter market. Abiko is suddenly back in one of the weakest sides of pro-football. He basically retired long time ago, only to come back last year with Mito HollyHock, with though he didn’t even play one game. Can we see some miracle in J3?
09. Akira Takeuchi: from Oita Trinita to Kamatamare Sanuki (previously on loan)
A decade ago, he was a young prospect winning a J1 title with Nagoya, now he’s going to be a senator in a just relegated side. It won’t be easy for Kamatamare to dream a J2 return, but Takeuchi might be fundamental in this.
08. Yasuhito Morishima: from Tochigi Uva FC to Fujieda MYFC
A player with a strange career to a club which recently suffered a terrible season. Is this a match in disguise? Morishima was playing J1-football three seasons ago, now he tries to come back with Fujieda, which would badly need a miraculous rebirth.
07. Kohei Mishima: from Matsumoto Yamaga to Roasso Kumamoto
What seems a good move for his career became a killing choice. Kohei Mishima was having the time of his life in Mito, but with Matsumoto never worked. After two and a half seasons, Mishima might find back his groove in Kumamoto and in the third tier, where he could become again relevant. Especially in a promotion-candidate club.
06. Takumu Fujinuma: from Omiya Ardija to Blaublitz Akita
It might be only a loan, but the move of Fujinuma to Blaublitz might be promising. The kid showed his potential with Grulla Morioka alongside the major revelation of 2018 season, Kaito Taniguchi. Can he live up to the same premises we saw last year? Akita is a solid club to find it out.
05. Tsugutoshi Oishi: from Renofa Yamaguchi to SC Sagamihara
He’s still the all-time top scorer of J3 League. Only for this, you gotta be curious how we’ll re-approach the division after being dominant with Fujieda and solid for Tochigi.
04. Yota Maejima: from Yokohama FC to Kataller Toyama
In a difficult season, Kataller Toyama might have found an unexpected gem. Maejima showed his talent in the second part of 2018 season and Kataller were able to lock him for another year, despite being only on loan. Can he confirm what we witnessed: he’s a young talent (class ’97).
03. Naoya Senoo: from Gamba Osaka to Nagano Parceiro
It’s incredible how Gamba opted to disrupt their U-23 squad for 2019, letting many players leave, whether on loan or for good. Naoya Senoo is in the second category and I struggle to understand why: he showed a lot of talent in J3, but he didn’t find a better gig than Nagano. Anyway, Parceiro might have found a joker in a deck full of cards.
02. Naoto Misawa: from YSCC Yokohama to Gainare Tottori
From being one of the main surprises of one of the bottom clubs in J3 to become the main acquisition of a J3 club which lost a lot during the last winter. After graduating at Senshu University, Misawa has been a revelation for YSCC and he can only grow in Tottori.
01. Masao Tsuji: from YSCC Yokohama to Thespakusatsu Gunma
It’s incredible how YSCC lost their two best players and they might represent the best move within the division last Winter. The striker faced a strange 2018: he was injured for six months, but when he came back, he immediately found his way back to a solid goal scoring-rate. For Thespa, he might be the signing who changes it all in a promotion race.
P.S.: He has scored 27 goals in J3. I wouldn’t exclude witnessing his scoring record of 20+ goals at the end of the season, even overcoming the current all-time top scoring-record in the J3 League.
