Kaoru Mitoma has been linked with a move away from Brighton to join Tottenham Hotspur.
“Sky Sports presenter Geoff Stelling shared what he’s been told about Mitoma’s future,” TBR Football reported on Sept. 25 (KST).
Born in 1997, the Japanese international flanker came through the ranks of the J-League’s Kawasaki Frontale Youth and dominated the Japanese scene, scoring 30 goals and providing 20 assists in 62 appearances over three seasons. Brighton then approached him, and just four years after his professional debut, he was playing in the Premier League (PL).
Of course, he didn’t play in the PL right away. There were still issues with his work visa. After failing to fulfill the requirement of playing at least 70% of A matches, Mitoma was sent on loan to Belgian promotion side Royal Winnion Saint-Gilles.
Once in Belgium, Mitoma immediately showed his potential. In 29 appearances in the 2021-22 season, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, helping the team win the regular season title. After just one season on the European stage, Brighton began to utilize Mitoma in earnest, adding him to their first-team squad the following season.
In the PL, his quality was also evident. Making his PL debut in the second round against Newcastle United, Mitoma made an immediate impact in a short space of time, raising the expectations of the fans. Although he didn’t start many games, Mitoma fulfilled his role as the team’s undisputed ‘super joker’. He ended the 2022-23 season with 10 goals and 7 assists in 41 games.
This season, he’s really taken his place in the starting lineup. Mitoma started from the first leg against Luton Town, where he assisted Solly March’s opening goal and was voted the team’s highest-rated MOM, and in the second leg against Wolverhampton, where he used his speed to score a ‘wonder goal’. Although he suffered an injury during the season and had a disappointing Asian Cup campaign, he continued to lead the team’s offense with steady 메이저토토사이트 performances after his return.
However, an unexpected injury ruled him out of the season. “Manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed in a pre-match interview on Tuesday that Mitoma will be out for the rest of the season with a back injury,” Brighton announced on the club’s website in February. His final tally for the season was three goals and six assists in 26 games. That’s a far cry from last season.
Mitoma has been struggling with injuries. “I’ve been told by someone who knows the club well that Mitoma could be joining them,” Stelling said on Talk Sport. If Mitoma were to join Spurs, he would likely face competition from Son Heung-min.