Yotaro Nakajima
Full name in native alphabet: 中島 洋太朗
Country: Japan
Date of birth: 22/04/2006 (17 years old)
Place of birth: Hiroshima (Japan)
Height: 174cm
Youth career: Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Current club: Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Squad number: —
Current national team: Japan U-17
Position: defensive midfielder, central midfielder, attacking midfielder
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): 50.000 €
Tournaments participated in: 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup (5/1), 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup (4/0)
Contract until: unknown
Player’s agent: unknown
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Youri Tielemans
Strengths:
– passing 
– vision
– technique
– football IQ
– positioning 
– tackling
– work rate
– versatility
– ambidexterity
To improve:
– a very complete profile for a midfielder of his age but still needs to work hard to improve some elements of his game such as consistency, explosivity, and aerial ability
Style of play:
– intelligent and hardworking central midfielder
– player with a decent body mass ratio, who can develop well physically in the coming years
– his versatility and rich skillset make him able to perform at all of the midfield positions and roles such as deep-lying playmaker, roaming playmaker, box-to-box midfielder, or even advanced playmaker
– excellent in combination play/perfect for possession-based football
– elegant on the ball with a superb technical capacity
– high football IQ and spatial awareness
– excellent vision and passing skills at all distances
– feels very comfortable in quick combination and one-touch play
– displays a natural technique to take fast decisions in tight spaces
– very good composure and retention skills under pressure/press-resistant player
– above-average positioning and decision-making on the off the ball
– proactive and efficient in the defensive phase/makes many important tackles and interceptions thanks to his anticipation and tenacity
– positively aggressive and combative in duels
– operates very comfortably with his weaker left foot
Nakajima controls the ball, makes an instant decision, and provides a superb assist with his weaker foot.
Nakajima anticipates well, intercepts the ball, and plays a very good pass.
Nakajima presses his opponent, wins the ball back, and starts a dangerous attack.
Heatmap by Wyscout:
He is best suited to playing as:
Central midfielder in 4-2-3-1.
Video:
Achievements:
2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup winner with Japan.
League summary (as for 11 January 2023):
No senior team appearances yet.
Description:
Yotaro Nakajima is considered to be one of the most interesting U17s in Asia. He is the son of a former professional footballer Koji Nakajima. He is a product of the Shanon Bellmare youth academy. In June 2023, he was an important member of the Japanese team at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, where young Samurais won the gold medal in great style and showed a very interesting generation of players such as Ryunosuke Sato, Yumeki Yoshinaga, Kotaro Hinda, Gaku Nawata, Yutaka Michiwaki, Ryunosuke Yada, Shuto Nagano, and Keita Kosugi. A few months later, Yotaro represented his country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where Japan made it to the round of 16 but lost to a very strong Spanish side.
Quotes:
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Football Talent Scout potential rating:
8/10 
First team material in a top European league.
Links: