Profile
Season stats
Full career & schedule →Domestic-league season · Albirex Niigata.
Performance data · by competition
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 J1 League | 28 | 2 | 1 | 1646 | 6.82 |
 A-Leagueat Central Coast Mariners | 7 | 0 | 0 | 295 | 6.6 |
 J-League Cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 178 | — |
Scout report
K. Taniguchi is a 30-year-old defensive midfielder at Albirex Niigata, rated 26.3 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 257th of 377 on scout potential in the J1 League. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (48.1% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 1.2 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Taniguchi.
Judged on this season alone, Taniguchi graded 17 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 35th of 49 of the 49 defensive midfielders in the J1 League, on 2 goals, 1 assist and 1.203 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 35 → 17). Over the 3 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2024/25.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 26, 37th of 49 of the 49 defensive midfielders in the J1 League. At 30 Taniguchi is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 3.9 reflects that trajectory.
Below his 2024/25 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.
Output in context · Albirex Niigata finished 20th of 20 · a relegation-threatened side
1.2 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — light defensive volume, with 2 clean sheets across 28 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (20th of 20) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 2 goals and 1 assist — a useful bonus from the back.
Strengths
- Attacking threat. Chips in from deep: 0.16 goal involvements per 90, useful for a defensive midfielder.
Watch points
- Game time. Only 48.1% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
- Defensive numbers. Modest 1.2 defensive actions per 90 for the position.
- Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.
Outlook
With a Rating of 26.3, Taniguchi carries the 37th-highest potential of the defensive midfielders in the J1 League of 49, and he is posting that for a relegation-threatened side (Albirex Niigata finished 20th of 20) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as light defensive volume (1.2 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1× now → 0.7× projected in three years).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
