Best defensive midfielders in J1 League

The highest-potential defensive midfielders in J1 League, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. Nakagawa of Kashiwa Reysol is the standout for raw talent across defensive midfielders in J1 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 54.8, and S. Inagaki has been the form player this season, grading 68.2.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: T. Kubo has improved his Season rating most, up +31.9 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, T. Kubo of Kashiwa Reysol is the most valuable name in this group at 22.3.

Kashiwa Reysol · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

T. Kubo+31.9SsN

Kashiwa Reysol · 24/25→25/26

49 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	N. Nakagawa Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	24	30	55
2	K. Hayashi Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	25	3536.8%	544.6%
3	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	23	3141.4%	544.9%
4	S. Higashi Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	25	2736.9%	5311.4%
5	S. Mori Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	19	18	52
6	S. Nakano Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	26	2732.6%	5019.5%
7	K. Kumasaka Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	25	18525%	5023%
8	R. Yamane Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	22	2176%	501%
9	T. Kubo Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	27	49188.8%	498.3%
10	Y. Hashimoto Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	24	15	48
11	K. Aziangbe Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	22	141477.8%	476.3%
12	Y. Yamada Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	26	3259.2%	462.7%
13	R. Mito Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	24	15368.8%	460.9%
14	R. Hirakawa Defensive midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	26	1943.2%	451.8%
15	E. Miyamoto Defensive midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	27	3257.3%	443.1%
16	H. Ogura Defensive midfielder	Yokohama FC	25	16	44
17	H. Kida Defensive midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	26	18315.9%	431.2%
18	K. Okuno Defensive midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	26	29320%	420.9%
19	Y. Yamamoto Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	47201.9%	422.2%
20	K. Fujimoto Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	27	205.2%	4213%
21	T. Miki Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	28	404.5%	4019.4%
22	D. Suga Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	27	1331.4%	4018.4%
23	S. Kawahara Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	36112.4%	4011.2%
24	K. Watanabe Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	27	210.5%	3921.1%
25	Y. Nakayama Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	29	29317.1%	363.2%
26	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	29	3421.4%	3623%
27	S. Abe Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	28	2146%	3518.4%
28	K. Tachibanada Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	1855.9%	3430.5%
29	N. Lavi Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	29	34421.2%	347.4%
30	T. Morishima Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	29	3114.3%	3428.1%
31	N. Arai Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	29	2639.9%	3426.2%
32	H. Mae Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	30	313.4%	3310.6%
33	T. Suzuki Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	29	1455.9%	3330.1%
34	Diego Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	30	271.1%	2926.5%
35	T. Kishimoto Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	29	1817.2%	2923.7%
36	S. Tokumoto Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	30	159.4%	2722.9%
37	K. Taniguchi Defensive midfielder	Albirex Niigata	30	1751%	2630.1%
38	R. Izumi Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	32	3113.3%	2612.9%
39	T. Kida Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	31	2548.5%	2524.9%
40	S. Inagaki Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	34	6827.5%	2315.8%
41	K. Hashimoto Defensive midfielder	FC Tokyo	32	25850%	2216%
42	A. Kawazura Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	32	1351.8%	1839.7%
43	M. Yuzawa Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	32	1039.4%	1730.5%
44	H. Shimoda Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	34	2120%	1626.1%
45	Y. Nogami Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	35	1521.7%	1418.8%
46	R. Shirasaki Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	33	566.2%	1245.5%
47	G. Shibasaki Defensive midfielder	Kashima	34	853.1%	1243.1%
48	H. Okuno Defensive midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	36	1152.7%	1138.3%
49	A. Barada Defensive midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	35	641.3%	1123.7%