FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 Scouting Report: Keito Nakamura

The Mitsubishi Yowa Jugend star proved he's one for the future with his performance in the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Keito Nakamura made the headlines when he became the first player to score a hat-trick in the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup. Three goals against Honduras U-17 in a 6-1 hammering was enough for the Japanese lad to catch the eye of the fans.

Keito Nakamura is right now the most talked about name in Japanese footballing circles. Considering his top notch performances for Japan in the tournament, it will be tough for his club to hold onto him in the seasons to come.

Factfile

Name: Keito Nakamura

DOB: July 28th, 2000

Position: Striker, Right wing

Nationality: Japane

Club: Mitsubishi Yowa Jugend.

Foot: Right.

Market Value: NA

FIFA U-17 World Cup: 4 Goals/1 Assist

Style of Play

Nakamura is primarily a right winger who can play as a striker as well. He can also be deployed as a left winger. Nakamura is a pacy winger who loves to fox defenders with his pace and skills.

He is a goal-scoring threat in the box and can play well for a team that defends deep and hits the opposition on the counter.

Strengths

Nakamura is a very quick and skillful with the ball at his feet. He keeps on changing his position from time to time swapping them with fellow strikers. This makes life difficult for defenders.

He also good with headers with his well-timed jumps. He is clever enough to break the offside game and rarely gets caught flagged.

Weaknesses

A problem common with many modern day wingers is not tracking back to help the defence and Nakamura has the same weakness in his game. He has a good work-rate but he can surely contribute more towards his team in defensive aspects than what he does.

Also, a bit more selflessness would not only increase his assists but will also help his team in crunch situations.

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X-Factor

Keito Nakamura is a modern day winger who’s not only capable of getting past defenders and acting as a feeder to his striker but he is also good at scoring goals by himself.

Four goals in four appearances for Japan U-17 in the U-17 World Cup speaks a lot about his goalscoring ability. Nakamura does very well in attack and has a terrific work-rate.

What to Expect

He currently plays for Mitsubishi Yowa Jugend, a club from his native Japan. A player of his ability needs to be at a much better place in some European nation where he can develop under the watchful eyes of experienced top level coaches.

FIFA U-17 World Cup: Keito Nakamura Hattrick against New Caledonia

He will surely be in his senior national side in the coming years. One wouldn't be surprised to see him be the talismanic figure of his team, the cynosure of the Japanese national team's attacks. He's undoubtedly the next big thing in Japanese football.

Transfer Watch

In the next one or two years, a move to some Bundesliga team, just like fellow Asian footballers, where he can get quality playing time and also the attention of European heavyweights will be the most apt way to develop his career.

A formation like 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 where wingers are the prominent faces of the team will be the best-suited formation for a player of his type. Playing in these formations will allow him the attacking freedom ahead of the defensive midfielder which will make him more lethal up front.

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Potential

An Asian player, no matter how good he has been, still has always been way behind his top European and American counterparts. So, a rating of 3 or 3.5 out of 5 will be the best considering his rare talent and the potential he has to be a top level player.