According to "Sport," Ryunosuke Sato is close to joining Valencia, following in the footsteps of Takefusa Kubo and Yuto Nagatomo, who also began their careers at FC Tokyo.

European football's preference for Japanese players is no longer a gamble. A quick look at the national squad list under Hajime Moriyasu shows that 23 of 26 players compete in European leagues, spread across Germany, England, the Netherlands, Scotland, Belgium, France, Spain, Denmark, Italy, and Portugal.

Beyond sporting advantages, this trend also opens doors to commercial expansion in Asian markets. With Japanese players continuously moving to Europe, as long as Ryunosuke Sato's development at Valencia progresses smoothly, he has every opportunity to become the next star. At just 19 years old, this right winger has already made 5 appearances for the senior national team.

Yuto Nagatomo, an FC Tokyo product currently representing Japan at the World Cup, was one of the pioneers of Japanese players moving to Europe and is considered a representative of this trend alongside Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa. Before them, Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura, and Kazuyoshi Miura had already paved the way.

Yuto Nagatomo began his professional career at Meiji University, a prestigious institution in Japan. FC Tokyo quickly spotted him and officially signed him in 2008, though he had made his senior debut a year earlier. Four seasons later, he had developed into an aggressive and competitive left-back capable of making an impact in European football. This versatile player initially joined Cesena on loan, proving himself in Italy for a year before Cesena purchased him for 1.6 million euros. After just one season, Inter Milan signed him for a total of 6.5 million euros, where he performed well from 2011 to 2018. Subsequently, Nagatomo played for Galatasaray and Marseille. Since 2021, the now-39-year-old defender has been back at FC Tokyo.

In March 2015, the club named after Japan's capital once again demonstrated its excellent ability to develop young players. After starting at a local football school in his hometown of Kawasaki, Takefusa Kubo appeared in Barcelona's summer camp in 2009 when he was still of preschool age. Two years later, La Masia brought him into Barcelona's youth ranks, where his left foot consistently produced goals and assists. However, in mid-2014/15, Barcelona lost him due to a violation of minor player transfer regulations. At age 14, FC Tokyo opened its youth academy doors to him, hoping he would quickly rise through the ranks. And he did—at just 15, he made his senior debut in an official match, surprising everyone.

By age 18, his return to Europe was imminent. There was speculation he would rejoin Barcelona, but Real Madrid ultimately won the battle, signing him in June 2019. Though playing for Real Madrid Castilla, he was limited by non-EU player quotas and could never break into the first team, resulting in several loan spells. His first was to Mallorca, where he also made his La Liga debut at Mestalla Stadium. In that match, Valencia, led by Dani Parejo, won 2-0. He subsequently had several more loan spells, continuing to develop in Spanish football, wearing the jerseys of Villarreal and Getafe. Finally, Real Sociedad decided to purchase half of his economic rights from Real Madrid for a transfer fee of 6.5 million euros.

Among young players who have emerged from FC Tokyo to succeed in Europe, Yuto Nagatomo and Takefusa Kubo are the most prominent names, serving as the two brightest examples of Japanese talent in Europe. However, they are not alone. There are other young players from Tokyo's academy who have moved to top leagues with bright prospects, such as the more recent Kuryu Matsuki and Kenta Nozawa.

Southampton signed midfielder Kuryu Matsuki in the summer of 2024 on a four-year contract with an undisclosed transfer fee. In his first season, this left-footed playmaker was loaned to Turkish Super Lig side Göztepe. In Turkey, he made 34 appearances, scoring 6 goals and providing 5 assists. Despite cultural and age-related challenges, Kuryu Matsuki continued to improve in form and development, with his market value rising. Now 23 years old, he is an important player for Southampton and a key figure in the team's impressive second-half performance, helping them reach the promotion playoff final. Unfortunately, they were ultimately disqualified due to a tactical spying investigation, giving Middlesbrough another chance to compete for promotion, with Hull City eventually securing promotion to the Premier League.

Before England decided to sign Kuryu Matsuki, the now-23-year-old had represented various Japanese youth national teams and helped Japan win the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 2024, also being named AFC Young Player of the Year. This successful experience with Japan's youth team is quite similar to Sato's; the difference is that Sato has gone further, breaking into the senior national team, and has earned 5 caps for Japan since June 2024.

The most significant recent sale from FC Tokyo's youth academy came from goalkeeper Kenta Nozawa. Last year, Belgian club Antwerp paid 1 million euros for this promising 1.93-meter-tall goalkeeper. Like Sato, Kenta Nozawa has been a representative figure for various Japanese youth national teams, and though he has not yet made his debut at the Paris Olympics or for Japan's senior team, he has been part of the relevant preparation system for both. Since October, he has established himself as Antwerp's starting goalkeeper, and like Kuryu Matsuki, his upward trajectory is strengthening, and he is beginning to attract attention from stronger European clubs.

As for Ryunosuke Sato, the player who will soon wear Valencia's jersey, he entered FC Tokyo's system in 2014 at age 8, initially transferring from Aoyama FC to JACPA Tokyo before graduating four years later. In 2023, after signing a professional contract as a U-18 player, he stated: "My name is Ryunosuke Sato, and I'm pleased to announce that I have signed a professional contract with FC Tokyo. I am very happy to begin my professional career at my favorite club, which has supported me since I was in fourth grade, when I joined FC Tokyo's advanced football school. I want to be a player who can excite many people through football. I will fight for the blue and red crest with pride, ambition, and passion. I will do my best to win the league title, which has been my dream for a long time. Thank you all for your support!" Now, he hopes to make a name for himself at Mestalla Stadium and take a significant step in Europe.

Key players who have transferred from FC Tokyo to Europe:

Ryunosuke Sato's transfer fee, approaching 4 million euros, will exceed all amounts FC Tokyo has previously received for selling young players to European leagues.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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