Kaoru Mitoma: Brighton's futuristic star would be a Manchester sensation

Sam McGuire

• Updated: 25 Jan 2023 10:54 GMT
• 5 min read

Kaoru Mitoma has done the impossible. He’s managed to steal the spotlight away from Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.

Mac Allister played a key part in Argentina’s World Cup success in Qatar while Caicedo might be the most sought-after midfielder in the world not named Enzo Fernandez or Jude Bellingham.

Yet over recent weeks, Mitoma has been the name on everyone’s lips whenever Brighton are playing. It is easy to understand why too. The 25-year-old has three goals and an assist in his last five starts for the Seagulls. His form has helped Roberto De Zerbi’s side climb to sixth in the Premier League table.

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The Japan international isn’t a stereotypical inside forward. He isn’t explosive over short distances, for starters. He also isn’t the sort of player to perpetually be trying to create an opportunity to shoot.

He is more of a creative menace than he is a goal threat, with an Expected Assists per 90 average of 0.31 and an Expected Goals per 90 average of 0.2. Those two metrics alone highlight the sort of player he is.

In the modern game, most wide forwards are tasked with scoring goals but we’re seeing a bit of a shift in recent years, with both Liverpool and Manchester City adding goalscoring No.9s to their ranks and funnelling attacking situations towards Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland.

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Mitoma ready for the next football's next tactical evolution

Expect others to follow suit in the near future as the game once again evolves. With this in mind, someone like Mitoma will soon become even more valuable and Brighton may, once again, have many of the big clubs in the Premier League knocking on their door.

Spurs, for example, could be a team who has a place for Mitoma in their squad. Heung-min Son isn’t getting any younger and he’s struggled this season. Richarlison is yet to justify his price tag while there are also doubts over the future of Harry Kane, with Manchester United believed to be keen. They are also losing Lucas Moura at the end of the current campaign, so they might need reinforcements.

Mitoma on left and Dejan Kulusevski would be an intriguing combination.

Had Arsenal not signed Leandro Trossard, the Emirates would’ve been an interesting destination for the fleet-footed winger. Simiarialy, if Liverpool hadn’t signed Cody Gakpo this month, Mitoma would’ve likely been on the Merseysiders' radar.

Manchester United missed out on Gakpo so could still be in the market for a left-winger. He is the sort of player Erik ten Hag seems to like, so that might be one to watch as the Dutchman continues to put his stamp on things at Old Trafford.

There doesn’t appear to be any room for him at Chelsea but Todd Boehly’s transfer strategy doesn’t appear to be that sensible so who knows? You can see why Pep Guardiola might be interested in Mitoma. Manchester City do need reinforcements in wide areas and the 13-cap international is technically secure and really intelligent. He would fit a City team.

Many of the traditional big six in the Premier League will definitely be keeping tabs on him.

Unlike certain players, Mitoma doesn’t rely on a certain trait to be effective. He isn’t reliant on pace and he doesn’t need certain scenarios to be impactful.

Take his goal against Leicester City.

He picks the ball up on the left and isolates the full-back. Mitoma is in space and can attack the outside or the inside.

He slows the game down and waits for support, seen above, and only then does he makes his move.

With the space cleared centrally due to the off-the-ball run, he cuts inside and curls his effort into the far corner.

Plenty of players look to cut inside and get a shot off. In fact, plenty of them are really obvious about it and they are then too predictable.

Mitoma is anything but predictable.

Against Liverpool, the No22 picks the ball up just inside the Brighton half and he’s practically pinned against the touchline. He somehow manages to wriggle free from Trent Alexander-Arnold on the outside and attacks the space behind the right-back.

Now he’s in the same situation as the one he found himself in against Leicester City. However, this time, with no runners looking to create space centrally for him, he attacks the outside of Joel Matip. Had he beaten the centre-back, it is a two-vs-two situation for the Seagulls. Had Evan Ferguson ran across Ibrahima Konate and dragged him into a wider position, Mitoma likely cuts inside and attacks Andrew Robertson.

He can do a bit of everything and that is what makes him so effective in the Premier League.