Japan's ability to export midfield players with composure on the ball and tactical intelligence is beyond question but there are potential stars heading for Europe too.
Sota Kitano has the x-factor, that attention-grabbing edge that can take a robust technical base and use it to play in ways that others can't or won't. Now at Red Bull Salzburg, Kitano's emergence at Cerezo Osaka was impossible to ignore. He has that kind of aura.
So who exactly is Sota Kitano?
PROFILE
Name: Sota Kitano
Position/s: Attacking midfielder
Age: 21 (Born: August 13, 2004)
Nationality: Japan
Height: 1.72m (5ft 8in)
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Red Bull Salzburg
For a 21-year-old footballer in the year before a World Cup, a November international debut is a beautiful piece of timing. In Kitano's case, it was inevitable. Comparisons to legendary players like Hidetoshi Nakata and Keisuke Honda are premature but there is a line to be drawn from those Samurai Blue greats to Hajime Moriyasu's newest recruit.
Kitano was a shrewd acquisition for the Red Bull system. The former Cerezo junior had already made more than 60 appearances when he headed to Austria last summer. He's already showing what he can do in the Bundesliga and Europa League, and the biggest stage of all is just five months away.
Kitano's strengths
Carrying the ball: Kitano's ability to progress the ball with pace is a big benefit for Salzburg and offers a different dimension for Japan as the World Cup looms on the horizon. The first team to qualify for World Cup 2026 will need players who can help them control games against Tunisia and an unknown play-off winner, and to act as an outlet against the Netherlands. Kitano could be it.
Breaking lines: Salzburg haven't had it all their own way in the Bundesliga in recent seasons but they're top of the table and frequently face teams willing to try and frustrate them. Having a player who can pick a pass between the lines or drop a shoulder and beat an opponent is essential.
Direct goal contributions: Kitano took no time at all to get off the mark in Austria and indeed in continental competition. He strikes the ball beautifully, scores at a good rate, and produces attacking numbers that suggest he's on an exciting trajectory.
Big moments: At Cerezo Osaka, Kitano managed to steal some of the limelight from the likes of Leo Ceara and Shinji Kagawa. He dealt well with the self-inflicted pressure of being the main man, demonstrating his emotional maturity on the pitch.
Playing with boot feet: Two-footedness is a basic skill for top-level footballers, but it's easy to spot those for whom it's less a developed skill and more a honed version of a natural ability. Players of Kitano's profile who can open the game out in either direction are hugely valuable.
Sota Kitano - YouTube
Kitano's areas of development
Physicality: Like many creative and elegant attacking players, Kitano will need to get used to the physical side of the game. He's not weak or lightweight by any stretch, but some of the leagues he could be looking to as his next move will pose a different challenge as he matures.
Engaging out of possession: Kitano's work-rate is as it should be. Indeed, it was one of the major plus points in favour of signing him according to Salzburg last year. Nevertheless, his out-of-possession numbers will surely evolve and his ability to win the ball back will eventually match his appetite for it.
Passing range: Neat, incisive, close-quarters passing is the key possession skill that makes Kitano effective around the box but as he grows, and potentially even develops a taste for dropping a little deeper to control matches, his range of passing and accuracy over longer distances will need some fine-tuning.
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