Ataru Esaka

Esaka's current-season form is down 100% on last season (Season 34→0), while his Rating held around 20. His peak season for form remains 2020/21 (Season 52).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2027/28	Fagiano Okayama · 11th	10	0	0	6.51	20	0
2026/27	Fagiano Okayama	20	3	3	7.01	—	—
2025/26	Fagiano Okayama · 13th	38	6	5	7.11	20	34
2024/25	Ulsan Hyundai FC · 1st	29	5	0	7.02	20	18
2023/24	Ulsan Hyundai FC · 3rd	9	1	1	6.7	18	6

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 8 earlier seasons in the full career.

Japan · international

Side	Apps	G
Japan	1	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Experienced headCentre-forward

A. Esaka is a 34-year-old centre-forward at Fagiano Okayama, rated 12.3 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 173rd of 193 on scout potential in the J1 League. A seasoned veteran, he has been a rotation option this season (38.5% of available minutes). Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Esaka.

Judged on this season alone, Esaka graded 0 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 27th of 28 of the 28 centre-forwards in the J1 League, on 0 goals and 0 assists in 10 appearances (0 involvements per 90).

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 34 → 0). Over the 7 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2020/21.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 12, 25th of 28 of the 28 centre-forwards in the J1 League. At 34 Esaka is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 1 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Past his 2020/21 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.

Peak: 2020/21Trending downBreakout: 2025/26Streaky4 clubs

Current potential25th of 28 centre-forwards · J1 League · 10 apps Current season27th of 28 centre-forwards · J1 League · 10 apps 27th-best centre-forward in the J1 League 173rd in the J1 League · potential 25th-highest potential centre-forward in the J1 League

12.3

Ratingi

25th of 28 centre-forwards

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

38.5%

Minutes

rotation minutes

Goal contrib / 90

low end product

Output in context · Fagiano Okayama finished 11th of 20 · a mid-table side

Apps

Goals

Assists

G+A

Goals / app

0 goals in 10 appearances (0 per game) — light end product the role wants to see climb.

Watch points

Game time. Only 38.5% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Output. 0 contributions per 90 is light for an attacking role — end product needs to climb.
Age curve. At 34, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 12.3, Esaka carries the 25th-highest potential of the centre-forwards in the J1 League of 28 — though on just 10 appearances this season, so the standing rests on a small sample. In the final third he profiles as a work-in-progress on end product (0 goal contributions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.6× and falling).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %38.5%

Available fixtures10 of 10

Goals / 900

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900

Defensive actions / 901.366

Player flow

Goal involvements0

Shot conversion %0

Shot accuracy %36.4

Pass accuracy %69

Dribble success %30

Cards / 900

Foul involvement / 901.912

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~3), then tapers with age. At 34, Esaka sits on 1, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Esaka's projected Rating — 12.3 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-forwards in the J1 League with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals0

Shots on target4

Shots11

Passing

Assists0

Chances created7

Passes282

Pass accuracy69%

Possession

Successful dribbles3

Dribble success30%

Duels won34

Duels won %48.6%

Fouls won7

Defending

Tackles6

Interceptions3

Blocks1

Fouls committed7

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards0

Red cards0

Transfer history

Fagiano OkayamaJan 2025 – now

Ulsan Hyundai FCJan 2023 – Jan 2025

UrawaJul 2021 – Jan 2023

Kashiwa ReysolJan 2018 – Jul 2021Free

Omiya ArdijaJan 2016 – Jan 2018

Thespakusatsu Gunmauntil Jan 2016

About A. Esaka

Ataru Esaka is a 34-year-old centre-forward who plays for Fagiano Okayama, born on May 31, 1992 in Sanda, standing 175 cm tall. He is from Japan. Fagiano Okayama currently sit 11th of 20 in the J1 League.

This season

In the current season, A. Esaka has made 10 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists across 659 minutes.

A. Esaka's next match is on October 31, 2026, when Fagiano Okayama face FC Tokyo at home in the J1 League.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates A. Esaka at 12.3 with a Season form score of 0, ranking 173rd of 193 centre-forwards in the J1 League. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 9 career titles — among them the K League 1 and the Super Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 13 recorded seasons, A. Esaka has totalled 394 club appearances with 86 goals and 32 assists for 6 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2015/16, with 42 appearances for Thespakusatsu Gunma.

A. Esaka's career has also included time at Ulsan Hyundai FC, Urawa, Kashiwa Reysol, Omiya Ardija and Thespakusatsu Gunma.

On the international stage, A. Esaka has represented Japan — 1 cap in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Fagiano Okayama finished 11th of 20 · a mid-table side

Watch points