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Kaoru Mitoma is a Japanese footballer currently playing for Brighton & Hove Albion. This talented winger scored one goal in two matches during the 2022/23 season and is a good asset for the Seagulls’ side. However, in a league with so many stars, such as the English Premier League, Mitoma’s history is one of a kind. Read more about his biography and achievements, and see what his success means for other players.

Background

Kaoru Mitoma could have started his professional career in Japan when he was 18 years old in 2016. Mitoma was invited to join Kawasaki Frontale’s professional team back then but decided to attend university instead. According to the player, going to university helped him become a better player and study subjects that are now instrumental, such as sports, nutrition, coaching, and more.

The Kawasaki Frontale was ready to welcome Kaoru Mitoma as soon as he left the university. Mitoma and Kawasaki Frontale finally signed a professional deal then. During the 2020 season, the Japanese winger was often in the sports headlines.

He scored 18 goals over 37 matches and 20 more before being contacted by Brighton & Hove Albion’s agents. Recently, he went to play with the Royal Union Saint Gilloise on loan.

Mitoma’s trajectory from an uneventful Japanese league to one of the most-watched leagues in the world deserves examination.

Rise To Stardom

In a country with little football tradition, Mitoma surely stands out from the pack. Still, Mitoma isn’t the only Japanese player in the EPL, or the only player coming from a minor league, for that matter. Every season, there’s a top-notch player coming up somewhere in the world.

If you follow Football betting all Leagues, you’ll see there’s always a killer player to bet on. These players usually end up in high-quality leagues, such as the EPL. As for other Japanese players in the EPL, there’s Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town), and Daniel Matsuzaka (Weymouth). Great names from the past include Junichi Inamoto, Kazuyuki Toda, and Hidetoshi Nakata, among others.

Where The Money Goes

The top European leagues certainly have some of the wealthiest clubs in the world, and for those clubs, the world is an oyster in clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham, or Brighton, where everyone seems to come from a different country. They indeed have ammunition to shell out on stars like Leandro Trossard, or Rodrigo Betancourt, who were already shining in other European leagues.

Still, investing in undervalued players from even less valued leagues has proved worthwhile. It’s the same principle we use in economics: an investment is worthwhile when you take out more than you put into it. So, even if buying the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo could generate a lot of revenue, he’s still an insanely expensive player. So, there’s more profit to be made on promising players, such as Mitoma.

Foreign Power

Such an approach by managers and club owners can be felt when we look at the lineups in the EPL. Chelsea became the first English team where all players were foreigners. In fact, over 60% of players currently in the English Premier League are foreigners.

Still, there’s a limit to hiring what the Premier League rules consider “non-homegrown” players. In a squad with 25 players, at least eight of them must be national. However, there aren’t limits to the number of foreign players on the field.

It’s true that most foreign players in the league now come from traditionally strong countries, such as France, Spain, and Brazil. However, it’s also possible to find players from much less hyped leagues, like Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, and Ghana.

Photos by Unsplash

Celtic defender Stephen Welsh has been urged to make a move away from the Parkhead club during the upcoming January transfer window by BBC pundit Tam McManus. 

The Lowdown: Welsh’s season so far

So far this season, the 22-year-old has made just six appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, which suggests that he’s not particularly high in Ange Postecoglou’s pecking order.

With the Hoops recently acquiring the services of defender Yuki Kobayashi, this could make Welsh’s chances of getting regular game time even thinner.

With the January window close to opening, the Scotsman has been backed to make a move away from Parkhead.

The Latest: Welsh backed for January exit

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus had this to say Welsh and his immediate future at Celtic ahead of January.

“He’s 22 now, he cannot be sat on the bench or in the stands every week. He has to go and play games for somebody. Celtic have depth at centre-back and now they have just signed Kobayashi as well.

“Welsh is well down the pecking order at Celtic now and he just has to leave. Whether he goes to Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen or somewhere down south, he has to get away.

“Whether it is a loan deal or a permanent doesn’t matter right now. We’ll have to see what kind of offers come in but he is helping no one if he isn’t playing.

“I would be surprised if Welsh is still at Celtic when the window closes.”

The Verdict: The right move

Given the lack of regular game time he’s had so far this season, it would make sense for Welsh to potentially join another club on loan, where he’d be able to play on a consistent basis.

Even though he’s only played in four league games this season, his performances in those games have earned him a season rating (6.88/10), which makes him the lowest-rated centre-back at the club according to WhoScored.

With that in mind, it could be an idea for the club to move him on temporarily in January so he can improve his game and have a better chance of breaking into the team in the future or earning a permanent switch.

Rangers must back Michael Beale financially during the upcoming January transfer window as uncertainty surrounds the futures of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, says BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ season so far

After being appointed as Rangers’ new manager earlier this month, Beale already has his first transfer window coming up in a matter of weeks.

Having drawn three and lost two of their 15 SPFL games so far this season, some improvements could certainly be made to the Gers’ squad.

Looking ahead to January, with names like Josh Onomah and Ryan Porteous linked, one former Rangers figure has urged the club to back their new manager in the winter window.

The Latest: Rangers urged to back Beale

Reacting to Football Insider about the exit talk around Kent and Morelos, Hutton had this to say about spending in the January window:

“I think it definitely helps (keep players at the club).

“For any player joining any team you want to be part of something. You want a vision and a plan moving forward and I think that is something Rangers have not really had this season.

“It is a big opportunity for Beale to put his stamp on the squad. Hopefully in January he does get backed because he needs players through the door that can help bridge that gap that there is at the moment between Rangers and Celtic.”

The Verdict: Work to do at Rangers

Despite having the highest rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes (19.67) in the league this season, there are five clubs with a higher percentage of shots on target than Rangers (31.2%).

With that in mind, it could be worth Beale looking to bring a clinical attacking figure to the club that can help the team score more goals and be less wasteful in goalscoring opportunities.

Given how many points Rangers are behind Celtic at the top of the league table, it’s clear that Beale has a big job on his hands if he wants to turn the tide and bring the title to Ibrox, and the Rangers hierarchy simply cannot afford to wait until the summer to back their new boss.

Leicester City have made an official enquiry to sign Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Instant impact

The Frenchman left Nottingham Forest over the summer despite the Reds’ promotion and he has made an impressive start to the season, with Franck Haise’s side currently sitting second in the Ligue 1 table.

The shot-stopper has played a significant role in that success, featuring for every minute of the league campaign so far, and as a result, several English clubs are reportedly interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

The Latest: Leicester eyeing Samba

According to Graeme Bailey for 90min, Leicester are ‘one of those to enquire’ for Samba, but they are set to face competition for his signature from top-flight rivals Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton and Brighton.

The report states that ‘interest is mounting’, with the five clubs mentioned ‘already beginning to look around’ at potential new first-choice goalkeepers.

Lens are claimed to have ‘little intention’ of allowing the 28-year-old to leave in January, while it would likely take a ‘sizeable offer’ to tempt him away next summer.

The Verdict: Ward upgrade?

Ever since Kasper Schmeichel left the King Power Stadium in the summer, Danny Ward has taken his place as first-choice between the sticks, but Samba could well be considered an upgrade on the Welshman.

The 6 foot 1 stopper has been dubbed a ‘ridiculous’ talent by Josh Bunting, and it’s clear to see why having kept seven clean sheets in just 15 appearances this season and conceded only 10 goals.

The Foxes have already shipped 25 goals this term in 15 league matches, all of which Ward has played.

This shows that he isn’t having much of an impact as Schmeichel’s successor, so Samba would appear to be the perfect candidate to come in and change that.

Tottenham Hotspur head into Saturday afternoon’s Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth in something of a dip in form, with Antonio Conte’s side having lost two and drawn one of their last three fixtures in all competitions.

The latest of these results was a controversial 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, a game which Spurs thought they had won with the last kick of the game after Harry Kane turned home from close range – only for the 29-year-old’s strike to be ruled out for offside by VAR.

However, while Conte and his side undoubtedly felt the decision to chalk their winner off was a harsh one, in truth, it was the performances of a number of the Tottenham team that ultimately cost the north London outfit all three points on the night – and particularly that of second-half substitute Emerson Royal.

Indeed, despite only being introduced to the game in the 81st minute, the Brazilian continued an unwanted trend of wastefulness in the final third, completing just four of his eight attempted passes – a success rate of just 50% – including a now infamous no-look pass in the closing stages of the game that went out for a Sporting goal-kick.

The £34m-rated wing-back also ceded possession a whopping seven times over his limited time on the pitch, with his total of 12 touches meaning he gave away the ball with every 1.7 touches he had on Wednesday evening.

This is something that football.london’s Rob Guest picked up on in his player ratings, with the journalist awarding the £40k-per-week flop a five, as well as stating of the defender’s display: “Wasted some good chances down the right when more quality was needed.”

However, Emerson’s poor showing against the Liga Portugal side was far from his first of the season, with Josh Bunting slamming the 23-year-old in a post on Twitter after his performance in the 2-1 loss to Newcastle United earlier this month:

“Emerson Royal just isn’t good enough at all, he’s not Premier League quality whatsoever. Dreadful performance again today, decision making and just general football intelligence is simply dreadful. Maybe the worst player to play for Tottenham in my lifetime and I mean that.”

As such, should Conte wish to give Spurs the best possible chance of returning to winning ways against Bournemouth this afternoon, it would appear clear that the 53-year-old simply must avoid selecting Emerson in his starting XI at the Vitality Stadium – as a repeat performance of Wednesday from the right-back could well cost Tottenham dearly again today.

Sheffield Wednesday trio Jack Hunt, Dominic Iorfa and Mallik Wilks could all start against Leicester City Under-21s, according to journalist Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Sheff Wed in cup action

The Owls have a brief respite from League One commitments on Tuesday night, as they host the young Foxes in an EFL Trophy clash at Hillsborough.

In truth, even Darren Moore would admit that this competition certainly doesn’t take precedence this season, although a win still isn’t to be sniffed at.

While numerous changes are expected to the starting lineup, it could be that Moore’s team is stronger than some expect.

The Latest: Trio could all start

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Yorkshire Live‘s Howson claimed that key trio Hunt, Iorfa and Wilks could all feature prominently against Leicester:

“There is a strong chance Jack Hunt, Dominic Iorfa and Mallik Wilks will be involved in Sheffield Wednesday’s Papa John’s Trophy dead rubber with Leicester City’s Under-21s tomorrow night.”

The Verdict: Needlessly strong?

This is an intriguing update from Howson, considering the EFL Trophy feels more like a competition to give youngsters playing time in, rather than risk senior figures.

An injury to an important player at Hillsborough would likely cause much frustration among the fanbase when they could instead have been at home recharging the batteries.

That being said, Wednesday do arguably have the biggest squad in League One and Moore will want to retain match fitness in his players, so Hunt, Iorfa and Wilks could all benefit from the minutes, retaining sharpness ahead of the bigger matches to come.

Celtic have become masters of finding hidden gems on the cheap during Ange Postecoglou’s spell in charge, with the likes of Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Josip Juranovic – among others – having all been brought in for relative bargain fees.

The title-winning coach isn’t the only Hoops boss to have showcased a knack for making astute deals, however, with his predecessor Neil Lennon having also done so on occasion, albeit most notably during his first spell in charge.

The Northern Irishman was at the helm when the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama were signed for what proved to be nominal fees, although arguably one of his more unsung additions was that of playmaker, Kris Commons.

The Parkhead outfit had reportedly fended off rival interest from Old Firm foes Rangers to land the then-Derby County gem in January 2011, with the former Scotland international joining for a reported fee of just £300k, having scored 13 goals in just 26 Championship games for the Rams in the early months of the season.

Also formerly of Nottingham Forest and Stoke City, the Mansfield-born star made an instant impact in his new surroundings having scored a delightful lob on debut in a League Cup triumph over Aberdeen, setting the tone for what would be a stunning few seasons in Glasgow.

The now-retired ace scored 11 goals and provided four assists in just 14 games in the tail end of that 2010/11 campaign, before providing a further 13 goal involvements in all competitions the following season, albeit while scoring just once in a win over the Gers.

After that somewhat difficult 2011/12 season, the “wonderful” talent – as dubbed by Lennon – truly kicked into gear the year after, recording 35 goal contributions in just 46 games across all fronts from his attacking midfield berth.

The 5 foot 6 wizard seemingly had a rare gift for being able to make the difference in the final third, with that best illustrated by his form during the 2013/14 campaign as he registered 31 goals and 14 assists in 48 games in all competitions, including 26 goals and 11 assists in just 34 league games.

That prolific form ultimately saw the 12-cap gem unsurprisingly named the Scottish Premiership Player of the Year, with Lennon having lauded him as a “dynamite” asset that term, while also comparing him to cult hero, Lubo Moravcik.

The arrival of Ronny Deila in the dugout in 2014 ultimately saw his role somewhat reduced although he still continued to produce, before the appointment of Brendan Rodgers proved the final nail in the coffin as he was subsequently released in 2017, after a brief stint on loan at Hibernian.

That brought to a close what had been a remarkable few seasons for the ageing menace at Celtic Park, solidifying his status as a real club legend having recorded a total tally of 89 goals and 72 assists in 227 games.

In truth, the Hoops simply struck gold in managing to snap up such an asset for a mere £300k.

Aston Villa’s Philippe Coutinho may be lacking ‘hunger’ at this stage of his career, pundit Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

After a successful loan spell in the second half of last season, Villa agreed to pay FC Barcelona £18million to sign Coutinho permanently.

As per Capology figures (via FBRef), he’s the third-highest earner at the Midlands outfit, taking home £125,000 per week. Only Lucas Digne (£163,500) and Boubacar Kamara (£150,000) are thought to be on larger salaries.

But even that figure is dwarfed by the £470,000 he reportedly earned every week during his time at Barcelona.

The latest

McAvennie, who played for Villa in 1992, told FI that while Coutinho possessed quality, he may now be short of desire given the extent of his earnings.

He said: “Coutinho is a good player, maybe now that he’s got that much money he’s not bothered. He doesn’t seem to have the hunger. He looks to me that he’s not got that fire in his belly.”

The verdict

It’s been a difficult start to the season for Coutinho, who’s failed to register either a goal or an assist across his first eight appearances in all competitions.

He’s failed to complete 90 minutes in any of Villa’s matches, and Steven Gerrard has named him on the bench three times.

To make matter worse, the 30-year-old missed out on the final Brazil squad before the Qatar World Cup in November.

Could these struggles partly be down to a subconscious lack of application?

Well, one way we might measure that is by looking at a player’s contribution off the ball and, intriguingly, Coutinho ranks well below average compared to positional peers for pressures (26th percentile), tackles (40th), interceptions (26th) and clearances (23rd) per 90 minutes.

While Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has hinted at further incomings at Parkhead in the coming weeks, the title-winning coach will also likely need to consider potential outgoings, with towering Frenchman Christopher Jullien seemingly in need of a fresh start.

The 29-year-old – who signed for the Hoops on a £7m deal three years ago – has fallen drastically down the pecking order since his return from a lengthy injury absence back in February, having made just one appearance at the tail end of last term, totalling 16 minutes.

That lack of action has continued into the new campaign with the 6 foot 5 centre-back yet to even make it onto the bench in the opening weeks of the season, having seen the likes of Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz all favoured ahead of him at present.

Having seen a move to Bundesliga side Schalke collapse a few weeks ago, the former Toulouse man now faces an increasingly uncertain future in Glasgow, with reports even suggesting that he could be stuck with the Old Firm giants beyond the September deadline.

That scenario would be far from ideal for both the player himself and also the club, with the Scottish champions likely to be keen to get his reported £20k-per-week salary off the wage bill.

Pushing the former France U20 international out the door would also seemingly allow young Dane Murray to take on a more prominent role in Postecoglou’s side, with the 19-year-old no doubt having the talent to force his way firmly into the first-team reckoning.

Thus far, the teenager has been restricted to just two senior outings for the Scottish Premiership side, with both of those having come against FC Midtjylland in Champions League qualifying last season.

Although he has been unable to earn more game time since then, the Scotsman clearly caught the eye of his manager, with the former Yokohama boss stating that: “Coming on to the pitch, a young guy who was born in 2003. I can remember 2003 very clearly.

“You know how young he is and he is not just coming on the pitch, he is facing a formidable opponent and with 10 men. But you know what? My gut instinct told me he wouldn’t be fazed by it.

“I watched him in training and he is a young kid, not just with football potential, but personality and character that belies his age. I was quite happy to trust him out there and it was an important part of the game, we were down to 10 men and we had to work very hard.”

Having also previously been described as “remarkable” by youth team coach Martin Miller, the highly-regarded prospect no doubt deserves the chance to push for a bigger role in the side moving forward.

A towering 6 foot 4 gem, Murray has the size and stature to be a real commanding presence in Postecoglou’s side, with the likes of teammate Welsh having showcased there is a clear route into the first-team at the Glasgow side from the youth system.

That pathway would be made somewhat clearer, however, if the aforementioned Jullien was to finally move on.

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici could be about to repeat his Cristian Romero masterstroke as he returns to Atalanta for the club’s next potential signing.

According to Italian outlet Tutto Atalanta, Spurs are leading the race to sign midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, who is also wanted by Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.

It’s believed that the north London outfit are aiming to seal a loan-to-buy agreement, just as they did with the Argentina centre-back.

The 24-year-old defender joined Tottenham last summer from the Serie A side on an initial loan deal with an option to buy of £42.5m, as per football.london, which is due to be made permanent before deadline day on September 1st.

Romero has been an instant hit with supporters around N17 for his aggressive style and undoubted defensive quality and now, Paratici and his staff could look to repeat this with his former teammate.

The Ukraine international could help fix the creative void at Spurs, having contributed ten goals and seven assists across all competitions last season, and doing so from a variety of central midfield roles – whether that be as a no.8 or no.10, as per Transfermarkt.

It’s no secret that manager Antonio Conte appears to be in the market for a new creative outlet and that’s exactly what Malinovskyi can provide, having been dubbed a “playmaker” by journalist Simon Collings.

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As per FBref, the Atalanta star ranks inside the top 6% of his positional peers across Europe for expected assists (0.32 per 90), as well as the top 3% for shots (3.24 per 90) and the top 7% for shot-creating actions (4.99 per 90).

The site also likens the £25m-rated star’s statistical profile to that of James Maddison and Mason Mount, so he should be right at home in the Premier League, just as Romero has been.

Adding more goals and assists from midfield could make Conte’s Spurs a lethal outfit in all the competitions that they are competing in. Malinovskyi has been described as having a “cannon in his left boot” by ex-player Tony Dorigo.

On the above evidence, the versatile midfielder could be an ideal eighth signing of the summer transfer window and by signing him on an initial loan, Paratici could be looking to repeat his masterstroke with Romero.

It seems like a deal that Spurs should certainly look to complete before the end of the window in less than two weeks’ time.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal perfect Conte signing in “complete” £50m gem, he’s shades of Kevin De Bruyne…