Kaoru Mitoma reveals exciting Brighton target after Japan star picks up prestigious award

The Albion winger has picked up Japan’s Best Player award for the second straight year by the Japan Footballers Association, whilst also being named in their best XI of 2023.

The 26-year-old, who is currently out injured with an ankle issue, has scored three goals and bagged five assists for the Seagulls this term, and in 2022/23, he was on the scoresheet 10 times and turned provider on eight occasions.

Now, the former Kawasaki Frontale star wants the Sussex side to come away with silverware in 2023/24, qualify for next season’s Champions League, and rack up the goals and assists, too.

He told Brighton’s website: “This is only the second time this award has been given, but I am really honoured to have won it for the first and second time. I feel it has great value in that it is voted for by the players. I am very happy that they voted for me. We are all committed to improving the quality of football in Japan including those who play in the J-League and abroad, and we are all friends on the pitch and rivals.

"I'd like to win the Europa League title at the end of the season and of course I'd like to improve our league position too, so we can qualify for the Champions League. Personally, I'd like to achieve more and better results in terms of numbers than last year. The Asian qualifiers for the World Cup have started and I think we will have more and more tough games but I think the current Japanese national team is a good team, competitive and has made a great start, so I want to show them that we can continue to win against the best in the world."

Mitoma, who helped lead Brighton into the last 16 of the Europa League, is expected to be out until February but he has still been picked for Japan’s Asian Cup campaign which starts next week. Below is the JPFA’s best Japanese XI from 2023.

GK – Suzuki Ayane Sint – Truiden VV (Belgium)

DF Akira Itakura – Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)

DF Wataru Endo – Liverpool (England)

DF Takehiro Tomiyasu – Arsenal (England)

MF Ryotaro Ito – Sint-Truiden VV (Belgium)

MF Takefusa Kubo – Real Sociedad (Spain)

MF Kaoru Mitoma – Brighton & Hove Albion FC (England)

FW Junya Ito – Stade Reims (France)

FW Kiyo Ueda – Feyenoord (Netherlands)

FW Yuya Osako – Vissel Kobe (Japan)

FW Togo Furuhashi – Celtic (Scotland)