Midfielders with the Best Potential in J1 League

The highest-potential midfielders in J1 League, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers in J1 League Best defenders in J1 League Best attackers in J1 League Most in-form midfielders in J1 League Top-scoring midfielders in J1 League Most valuable midfielders in J1 League

At a glance

N. Nakagawa of Kashiwa Reysol is the standout for raw talent across midfielders in J1 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 54.8, and S. Inagaki has been the form player this season, grading 68.2, and T. Ito leads the scoring with 13 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: T. Ito has improved his Season rating most, up +39.6 on last season, while Y. Matsumura's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +7.3 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, T. Kubo of Kashiwa Reysol is the most valuable name in this group at 22.3.

Kashima · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

T. Ito+39.6SsN

Kawasaki Frontale · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	N. Nakagawa Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	24	30	55
2	Y. Funabashi Central midfielder	Kashima	24	256050%	5425.1%
3	A. Uenaka Attacking midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	24	3394.7%	545.7%
4	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	23	3141.4%	544.9%
5	H. Mochizuki Full-back	Machida Zelvia	24	3611.9%	532.6%
6	D. Matsuoka Central midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	25	298.9%	531.3%
7	Y. Matsumura Attacking midfielder	Kashima	25	23725%	5216.4%
8	Y. Arai Central midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	23	344685.7%	5216.7%
9	S. Anzai Central midfielder	FC Tokyo	23	267.7%	518.5%
10	Y. Ozeki Attacking midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	21	11	51
11	S. Nakano Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	26	2732.6%	5019.5%
12	M. Shibayama Attacking midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	24	18105.7%	507.2%
13	K. Yasui Central midfielder	Urawa	26	3334.3%	50±0%
14	D. Sasaki Winger	Vissel Kobe	26	3327%	508.7%
15	R. Sato Central midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	19	10	50
16	K. Kumasaka Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	25	18525%	5023%
17	R. Yamane Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	22	2176%	501%
18	T. Kubo Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	27	49188.8%	498.3%
19	K. Morita Central midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	25	2914.1%	499.1%
20	T. Hiraoka Attacking midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	23	189.9%	491.2%
21	S. Higashi Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	26	2736.9%	4917.8%
22	Y. Nakajima Attacking midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	20	0100%	491.2%
23	R. Araki Attacking midfielder	Kashima	24	680.3%	4814.4%
24	S. Fukuoka Central midfielder	Kyoto Sanga	26	2172.6%	484.6%
25	R. Sakata Central midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	22	8240.9%	473.5%
26	J. Okumura Attacking midfielder	Albirex Niigata	25	18123.7%	474.4%
27	K. Aziangbe Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	22	141477.8%	476.3%
28	Y. Yamada Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	26	3259.2%	462.7%
29	R. Mito Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	24	15368.8%	460.9%
30	Keisuke Kasai Central midfielder	Albirex Niigata	23	14	46
31	Y. Matsuhashi Central midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	24	1213.3%	458%
32	Y. Kitajima Attacking midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	26	839%	45±0%
33	M. Shigemi Attacking midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	24	868.6%	4511%
34	R. Hirakawa Defensive midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	26	1943.2%	451.8%
35	E. Miyamoto Defensive midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	28	3257.3%	443.1%
36	S. Homma Attacking midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	25	61475%	447.8%
37	H. Ogura Defensive midfielder	Yokohama FC	25	16	44
38	João Pedro Central midfielder	Kyoto Sanga	26	20	43
39	H. Kida Defensive midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	26	18315.9%	431.2%
40	H. Matsumoto Full-back	Shonan Bellmare	25	81800%	422.1%
41	Moraes Centre-forward	Albirex Niigata	26	25	42
42	Masa Central midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	27	15345.5%	4212.3%
43	K. Okuno Defensive midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	26	29320%	420.9%
44	Y. Yamamoto Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	47201.9%	422.2%
45	T. Matsumoto Central midfielder	Urawa	27	2033.6%	4222.6%
46	T. Ko Central midfielder	FC Tokyo	28	434.9%	4116.1%
47	Matheus Bueno Central midfielder	Shimizu S-pulse	28	34313.4%	4120.1%
48	K. Yamada Central midfielder	Yokohama FC	27	3393.5%	4116.3%
49	T. Suzuki Full-back	Yokohama F. Marinos	26	15344.1%	412.4%
50	T. Miki Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	28	404.5%	4019.4%