Midfielders with the Best Potential in J1 League 2027

The highest-potential midfielders in J1 League in 2027, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers in J1 League Best defenders in J1 League Best attackers in J1 League Most in-form midfielders in J1 League Top-scoring midfielders in J1 League Most valuable midfielders in J1 League

At a glance

N. Nakagawa of Kashiwa Reysol is the standout for raw talent across midfielders in J1 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 53.9, and Y. Yamamoto has been the form player this season, grading 47.4, and A. Watanabe leads the scoring with 5 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Y. Yamamoto has improved his Season rating most, up +31.7 on last season, while M. Shibayama's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +3.4 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Y. Yamada of Kashiwa Reysol is the most valuable name in this group at 22.2.

Cerezo Osaka · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Y. Yamamoto+31.7SsN

Kawasaki Frontale · 24/25→25/26

40 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	N. Nakagawa Attacking midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	24	21±0%	54±0%
2	T. Hiraoka Central midfielder	Kyoto Sanga	24	2524.6%	514%
3	D. Sasaki Attacking midfielder	Vissel Kobe	26	3327%	517.8%
4	M. Shibayama Attacking midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	24	18105.7%	507.2%
5	S. Nakano Attacking midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	26	27±0%	50±0%
6	R. Sakata Central midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	22	8240.9%	473.5%
7	Y. Yamada Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	26	3259.2%	462.7%
8	João Pedro Defensive midfielder	Kyoto Sanga	27	18±0%	4310.8%
9	Y. Yamamoto Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	47±0%	42±0%
10	Y. Kitajima Attacking midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	26	839%	418.9%
11	T. Miki Central midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	28	40±0%	40±0%
12	T. Tsukui Central midfielder	Mito Hollyhock	24	7±0%	40±0%
13	R. Tabei Central midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	27	29	40
14	T. Akimoto Central midfielder	Machida Zelvia	28	342%	405.7%
15	K. Yamazaki Central midfielder	Mito Hollyhock	24	4	39
16	H. Takeda Central midfielder	Urawa	25	0100%	3820.2%
17	Y. Suzuki Central midfielder	Kashima	30	43±0%	38±0%
18	Y. Ideguchi Defensive midfielder	Vissel Kobe	30	34±0%	3613.2%
19	T. Amagasa Central midfielder	JEF United Chiba	26	0	36
20	S. Tanaka Central midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	29	32±0%	35±0%
21	T. Asano Central midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	31	837.1%	3325.6%
22	M. Shinada Central midfielder	JEF United Chiba	26	0100%	3323.7%
23	Y. Higuchi Central midfielder	Kashima	29	1432.7%	3225.1%
24	Y. Wakizaka Attacking midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	31	40±0%	32±0%
25	K. Yasuda Central midfielder	FC Tokyo	23	167950%	3229.9%
26	T. Takamine Central midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	28	0	3222.4%
27	Juanpe Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	30	16145.3%	3213.9%
28	T. Semba Central midfielder	Mito Hollyhock	27	0100%	3032.4%
29	R. Germain Central midfielder	Shimizu S-pulse	31	25±0%	295.5%
30	H. Mae Central midfielder	Machida Zelvia	31	31±0%	29±0%
31	I. Takahashi Central midfielder	JEF United Chiba	28	7±0%	29±0%
32	Samuel Gustafson Central midfielder	Urawa	31	313.4%	2815%
33	K. Yoshio Attacking midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	25	12	28
34	N. Kawatani Central midfielder	Shimizu S-pulse	23	15	28
35	A. Yokoyama Central midfielder	JEF United Chiba	29	9	25
36	S. Inagaki Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	34	44±0%	23±0%
37	Oberdan Defensive midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	31	1211.4%	222.8%
38	T. Ohgihara Defensive midfielder	Vissel Kobe	34	4520.5%	2025.5%
39	H. Onaga Central midfielder	V-varen Nagasaki	31	156.8%	2013%
40	A. Ienaga Central midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	40	1461.5%	846.9%