The presence of Japanese players in football on the international stage has been increasing year by year, as evidenced by their success at the 2022 FIFAW Cup and the just-concluded 2024 Olympics. Of course, one of the reasons for this is that the level of Japan’s domestic leagues has risen over the last decades, but another reason may be that far more players are playing in international leagues than before.
Among them, the Premier League is one of the European leagues with the largest number of Japanese players. Many Japanese players playing in the Premier League are key players in Samurai Blue, the Japanese national team.
This might be one of the reasons why the Premier League is especially popular in Japan, where people not only watch the games live and on-demand, but also enjoy various merch and Premier League betting at bookmakers.
The upcoming 24-25 season of the Premier League starts on August 16. In this article, we will look at some of the samurais who will be playing this season in the League.
TAKEHIRO TOMIYASU (ARSENAL)
On March 20, 2024, Arsenal announced that they would extend the contract of Tomiyasu until the summer of 2026, and this new season will be the 25-year-old’s 4th season in the team, as well as in the Premier League.
Under Mikel Arteta’s team, Tomiyasu was one of the most reliable defenders as Arteta expressed “We don’t have another player like him” for his versatility and overall talent as a defender.
Some of his highlights from the previous season include scoring his first goal against Sheffield United on October 28, 2023. He was also named Arsenal Player of the Month for October for the second time since September 2021, winning 64% of the supporters’ votes.
Meanwhile, there is also an injury concern. We have to mention that he was required to pull out for an extended period of time every season since joining Arsenal. Last season, he injured his tibia in the second half of the game against Wolverhampton on December 2 and because of this, he was out for about a month.
This summer he did not follow the 2024 US Tour due to a knee problem, and it has already been reported that he will miss the opening game of the season. So the question is going to be how he can distance himself from any more injuries, which could determine the good and bad of his season.
DAICHI KAMATA (CRYSTAL PALACE FC)
Daichi Kamata joined Crystal Palace from Lazio on a two-year contract. In his old home, SS Lazio where he stayed just for a year, he had a difficult start, as he was impacted by the team’s tactical change and was mostly starting from the bench from mid-September.
However, when Maurizio Sarri replaced him with Igor Tudor in March 2024, the situation shifted in his favour, and Kamata was given a lot more opportunities to play.
In Crystal Palace, he reunited with Oliver Glasner, his former coach back in Frankfurt days. During the preseason, the Japanese got off to a good start with an assist in his debut match against Charlton on July 19, and his first goal since joining the club against Crawley Town on July 26.
YUKINARI SUGAWARA (SOUTHAMPTON FC)
Sugawara is a young player who has been playing for Eredivisie in the Netherlands for five years. Being one of the league’s best attacking defenders, he was named in the league’s official Team of the Month four times last season, with impressive achievements with four scores and 9 assists in 42 games in the league.
This summer, after reported interest from several European football clubs, he signed a contract with Southampton FC, realizing his childhood dream of playing in the Premier League.
In his first game in the new team, a preseason match against Eastleigh on July 19th, he succeeded in making a strong debut with one goal and one assist, and one additional assist in a match against Montpellier on the 27th. All eyes are on how he makes his mark in the League in his debut year.
KAORU MITOMA (BRIGHTON)
Since moving to the Premier League in 2000, Kaoru Mitoma has established himself as one of the best wingers in the Premier League. Last season, however, he scored three goals and provided three assists in the opening six games, then from the end of February onward, he struggled with an ankle and back injury which forced him to miss the rest of the season.
With a new coach, Fabian Hürzeler, replacing Roberto de Zerbi, the team is required to go through some major tactical changes. On this, The Athletic claims that Mitoma’s recovery, along with Solly March’s, is essential for the team’s success, stating “It’s different playing without Mitoma and March.”
The Kawasaki native was in fine form on his tour of Japan this summer. He was involved in two goals in a preseason match against Villarreal on August 10, commenting in an interview after the game, “If I can improve my condition from now on, I think I can withstand the season.”
WATARU ENDO (MF, Liverpool FC)
Endo made his way into this world’s most prestigious league in the 23-24 season in Liverpool. The Samurai Blue’s captain was initially met with a bit of skepticism, but from the mid-season onward he became an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
This season, the Reds are going through a new system under Arne Slott. On August 11, the team played a doubleheader of training matches against Sevilla and Las Palmas as the last preseason games. Despite Endo playing full time, however, the local newspaper “Liverpool Echo” gave Endo a 5, the lowest rating in the team in the post-match player scoring.
“This is Anfield” published a rather harsh comment on his performance: “At 31, the Japanese cannot be viewed as the solution at No. 6 – the Reds’ pursuit of Martin Zubimendi continues – and it looks as though Ryan Gravenberch is now ahead of him in the pecking order.”
Endo appeared in 44 games in the League’s game last season, but this will be more difficult for him, exposed to a positional battle with newcomer Ryan Hrafenberg.
