Japanese Players Set Record Premier League

Ten Japanese players were registered with Premier League clubs at the start of the 2026-27 season, a record for the competition. The most high-profile signing was Zion Suzuki, who joined Aston Villa from Parma, while Takehiro Tomiyasu returned to London with Crystal Palace, Hidemasa Morita signed for Hull City and Daizen Maeda moved from Celtic to Ipswich Town. The Premier League’s squad lists these ten players, and the stats show their combined appearances so far.

Record Signings

The new cohort joins a growing group of Japanese talent already in England. Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Palace’s Daichi Kamada are among the established names. Other newcomers include Ao Tanaka at Leeds, Kota Takai at Spurs and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto at Coventry. Tanaka, who has played 41 times for Japan, joined Leeds from German side Fortuna Dusseldorf for £3.3 million (now US$4.5 million) two years ago.

Agent Insight

Fifa-registered agent Joel Pannick of CAA Base told reporters that English clubs have “increased confidence that signing a Japanese player is a good move to make.” He added that “there aren’t many examples of clubs signing Japanese players and having issues with their adaptation, with their personality, with their integration into the squad, with discipline.” Pannick, who represents about 60 Japanese players, said the fear of the unknown has faded as more successful examples appear.

Pannick also highlighted his client Maya Yoshida, who captained Japan at the 2022 World Cup and spent almost eight years at Southampton. He said Yoshida insisted that any player who sat at his lunch table must communicate in English, a practice that helped instill a “worldly mentality” among teammates.

Language and Culture

Japanese football journalist Yoshiyuki Osumi praised Suzuki’s ability to speak English, saying he is “10 or 20 years ahead of his time for a Japanese goalkeeper.” Osumi believes that if Suzuki plays in the Premier League, it could have a big impact on Japanese football. He also noted that the current generation of national team players largely speaks English to a good degree, which eases their transition to European clubs.

Pathways to the Premier League

Most Japanese players spend time in other European leagues such as Belgium, the Netherlands or Portugal before making the step up to the Premier League. The Championship has become a popular staging post, and there are currently eight Japanese players in England’s second tier. Post-Brexit changes to work-permit rules have forced English clubs to look beyond Europe for signings.

Osumi said an overall improvement in the level of Japanese players has allowed them to thrive in the Premier League. He also believes a change in the nature of the league has made adaptation easier. “The Premier League has become more tactical, and there are more teams that play as a coordinated unit,” he said. “That kind of football is something Japanese players find very easy to adapt to.”

The Premier League’s fixtures schedule includes matches featuring Japanese talent, and the injuries page lists any injuries that may affect the players’ availability. The record number of Japanese players this season reflects a growing trend of high-quality, low-risk signings for English clubs.