Takuro Kaneko Scout Report

 

Date of birth: 30 July 1997

Country: Japan

Position: Right Midfield, Right Wing back

Height: 178cm 

Preferred foot: Left

Club: Consadole Sapporo (On loan at Dinamo Zagreb)

The J League is a goldmine for the casual fan wanting to see high amount of goals per game, technical players running with the ball, long shots and generally great football. A huge part of that is the players of course and one of my personal favourites in recent years is Consadole's Takuro Kaneko. Coming into professional football from University, a path that is very common in Japan, he adapted to life in the J League with ease, becoming  a key man for Consadole Sapporro which earned him a loan move to Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb where he won 3 trophies in one season and quickly became  a fan favourite. Watching him play, it is easy to see why. 

A player that can play in a variety of positions, Kaneko's main position is running up the right wing. Kaneko has a fantastic play style that catches the eye instantly, often running down the wing and putting a cross in or cutting inside. Although he is naturally left footed he can use his right foot effectively often being forced to use his "weaker" foot in his native Japan. This season while on loan in Croatia, Kaneko posted 2 goals and 5 assists. These stats might not be the most eye catching however watching Kaneko will show you just how much of a role he plays. Often drifting inside he forces opposition to man mark him leaving space for the right back to drift into. Often Kaneko tracks back to win the ball which does leave him out of position when his team is on the counter. Making 1.1 tackles per game this season and recovering 2.6 balls per game is impressive, but again the stats do not do his work rate justice. 4.2 ground duals won at a 55% success rate does his effort more justice.

Kaneko's main strength is his dribbling ability. A combination of great agility, balance, pace, turn of pace as well as his ability to use both feet unite to cause problems for his opposition. In Croatia this season Kaneko averaged 1.5 dribbles per game at a 54% success rate. In Japan where his team played a much more counter attacking style of play, Kaneko averaged 2.1 dribbles at a fantastic 63% success rate. In Japan the ball was often played to Kaneko looking for him to create, whereas in Croatia Dinamo play more possession based football with an emphasis to keep the ball moving. 

In Japan Kaneko was one of the most exciting players in the league. Despite Sapporo not challenging for the title Kaneko stood out for his willingness to run at his opponents and his successful crosses. Coming to Europe it was interesting to see how he would adapt but his consistency has kept him more than affloat. Should Dinamo not exercise their option to buy Kaneko, he will certainly be on the radar for many clubs. A move to stay in Europe is in Kaneko's best interest as Japan have an abundance of talent on the wings, a majority of them playing in Europe on a regular basis. Names like Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda, Take Kubo and Ritsu Doan who are all familiar names within Europe have broke into the Japan national team and became mainstays for the team. Takuro Kaneko is talented enough to play for the national team and a move to Europe will certainly put his foot in the door.

Ideal Club:

I fully expect Dinamo Zagreb to take up their option to buy him, given the fact Kaneko not only helped win the club win 3 trophies but became a massive fan favourite. Signing him would also market the club to a massive audience and Kaneko fits in well with Dinamo style of play. Should Dinamo not make his move permanent the the next best club is Glasgow Celtic. Celtic are needing to add depth to their right side and a player like Kaneko who works hard and plays attacking style would fit in. Playing with Daizen Maeda would increase his chances of making the national team as well.