Player Talent Scout: Jun Nishikawa

Jun Nishikawa is an 18 year-old attacking midfielder who could be the next Japanese prospect to make the move to Europe. Nishikawa currently plays for Cerezo Osaka, where Shinji Kagawa and Takumi Minamino both started their careers.

Nishikawa first came to prominence in the 2018 AFC Under 16 Championship, when he was named most valuable player as Japan beat Tajikstan in the final.

Nishikawa moved from a continental to a world stage in the 2019 Under 20 World Cup, scoring once in four games, and followed this up with an outstanding Under 17 World Cup, where he shone with two goals in his four appearances.

The left footed playmaker has already had a trial with German giants Bayer Leverkusen, and his performances have also attracted the attention of RB Leipzig and Barcelona.

Fellow Kawasaki born teenage attacking midfielder Takefusa Kubo is currently shining in La Liga after being signed by Real Madrid and loaned out to Mallorca where his performances have been excellent.

Nishikawa will be hoping to follow in Kubo’s footsteps with a move to Europe in the near future. He is a typical number ten, with excellent passing, vision, creativity, technique, dribbling at pace but also a strong defensive contribution.

Likened to James Rodriguez and Joao Felix, Nishikawa is likely to be the next Japanese star in Europe, and despite standing at 180cm tall he would still need to bulk up physically if he makes the move, but he has all the tools required to become a regular at a top European club.