What Spurs can expect from Kota Takai: ‘Emerging talent' who proved himself against Ronaldo

New York Times

4 days ago

Most Premier League fans won't have heard of Kota Takai until this transfer window.
But the 20-year-old, who is set to join Tottenham Hotspur from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale for a J1 League record £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), has quickly developed into a star in his home country.
Having missed the opening weeks of the 2023 season representing Japan at the Under-20 Asian Cup, upon his return Takai broke into Kawasaki's first team aged just 18 and immediately established himself as a starter in central defence. He made 13 starts for Kawasaki in 2023, before being dropped to the bench towards the end of the season.
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Although Kawasaki have been one of Japan's most successful teams over the past decade, winning the J1 League four times between 2017 and 2021, the 2023 team was not vintage. They finished eighth in the then 18-team league, but Takai's talent often shone through, earning him a place in Japan's Under-20 World Cup squad that summer.
Since then, his career has taken off. He was part of the Japan team that won the Under-23 Asian Cup in 2024, playing every minute, apart from the second group game where he was rested. He then got his first cap for the senior national team in a 7-0 win over China later that year.
Though 2024 was another middling season for Kawasaki, finishing eighth for the second season running, Takai earned a call-up for the Paris Olympics to represent Japan, who were beaten 3-0 by Spain in the quarter-finals. For his performances across 2024, he won the J1 League's Best Young Player award.
Now he's a household name in Japanese football, with four caps for the national team. He also played for Kawasaki in the Asian Champions League final. They lost 2-0 in the showpiece game against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, but beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr en route to the final (pictured top).
'I would put him at the top of the young, emerging talents in Japan,' says Dan Orlowitz, a Japanese football journalist. 'There was no question that he was going to Europe. He is definitely on track to become a star, relatively speaking, for the national team.'
Takai, who has been taking English lessons and models himself after Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, was reportedly attracting interest from around Europe before he agreed terms with Tottenham. While the jump from J1 League (ranked 14th in the world by Opta Analyst) to Premier League (first) is significant, he has the attributes of a modern centre-back.
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First, he's comfortable in possession, a prerequisite for any emerging centre-back playing for a Premier League and Champions League side.
'In terms of building up and contributing to the attack, he's a reliable short passer,' says Orlowitz. 'He's not really going to contribute when you're in the final third, but he'll be able to move the ball forward.'
Kawasaki build from the back, and Takai or centre-back partner Yuichi Maruyama frequently finish games with the highest number of touches. Takai also has the ability to play line-breaking passes when given time and space.
Still, it's an area of his game not entirely refined yet. In Kawasaki's defeat by Vissel Kobe this month, Takai attempted 69 passes, completing just 56 (81 per cent). In their 1-0 win against Yokohama FC the week earlier, it declined to 20 from 27 (74 per cent). In their 2-1 away win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima on May 31, he completed 45 of his 49 passes (92 per cent).
Fluctuation in this area is understandable given his age, but his tendency to rush passes when under intense pressure was displayed against higher-quality opposition in the latter stages of the AFC Champions League.
Here, Al Ahli's Ezgjan Alioski is chasing down Takai, who is receiving a pass from midfield.
Alioski quickly closes the distance, prompting Takai to take the ball wide, isolating him against his opponent. Under pressure, Takai attempts a tricky pass over Al Ahli winger Galeno and into the path of team-mate Asahi Sasaki, but mishits the pass and puts it out of play.
However, in the semi-final, he showed he can be composed and skilful in these situations. In this grab, Al Nassr attacker Jhon Duran tries to sneak up on Takai on his blind side to win the ball.
Takai casually feints backwards — deceiving Duran, who then changes the direction of his run — before bringing the ball forwards and away from the Colombia international's pressure. He follows it up with a stylish chipped pass through the Al Nassr midfield block, setting his team away on an attack.
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Takai has a high ceiling as a distributor, provided he improves under pressure and continues developing his touch and feel for medium to long-distance passes.
An area that we may not be able to assess properly before he plays in England is his ability to adapt from a physical perspective, but there are encouraging indicators that he has the qualities to adjust.
'One of the biggest challenges for him is adjusting to the physicality and speed of the Premier League,' says Orlowitz. 'On any given Saturday, he can deliver a monster performance, but in the Premier League, he has to be able to do that week in and week out. It's going to be an adjustment, but he's got the physique.'
Takai stands at 6ft 3in (190cm), and he's not afraid to put his body in the way to dispossess opponents. In this grab, he wins the ball after a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Duran, whose physicality caused problems for Premier League defenders while at Aston Villa, before bringing the ball out of defence into midfield.
He's also improving as an aerial presence and has found the net twice with headers from set pieces this season.
However, his primary strength as a defender is his anticipation and timing, particularly in recovery situations. He does not have the electric pace of Micky van de Ven, but he can close distances quickly for a player of his size and win the ball cleanly with impressive slide tackles. Here is one example of this in action.
Here's another instance:
He can also read the game and step ahead of attackers, using his strength and power to win the ball, as shown in this grab:
Again, after dispossessing his opponent, he shows the vision and composure to move the ball on quickly to a team-mate, relieving opposition pressure.
Here, he calmly wins possession from Ronaldo, who had tried to break past Takai with a stepover move.
Having kept Ronaldo and Sadio Mane relatively quiet in the Asian Champions League semi-final, Tottenham have a barometer of Takai's quality. It should provide some confidence that he can find his way in the Premier League, where his physical and technical attributes will be tested.
Emerging ahead of Cristian Romero and Van de Ven will not be easy, not to mention the group of international centre-backs waiting behind them in Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and Luka Vuskovic, who made his Croatia debut earlier this month and can now play in England after turning 18 in February.
Still, Takai is a special talent, and Thomas Frank may be the perfect coach to maximise his abilities.