Will the Japanese national team duo be seen coordinating at a Premier League (PL) big club? News has emerged that Liverpool is targeting Kaoru Mitoma (28, Brighton & Hove Albion).

The British outlet "Give Me Sport" reported on the 14th (Korea time) that "Liverpool is considering acquiring Mitoma, one of Europe’s top wingers, for £46 million (about 86.4 billion won) this summer."

The outlet noted, "Liverpool, leading the PL, is said to be one of several European clubs closely monitoring Mitoma alongside Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He has just over two years left on his contract with Brighton. It is also reported that Brighton is currently negotiating to keep Mitoma at the Amex Stadium."

Mitoma is a representative winger of Japan. Since joining Brighton after leaving Kawasaki Frontale in the J-League in 2021, he has consistently performed as a key player. Despite some less productive periods, he has scored 21 goals and provided 15 assists in 99 matches while wearing the Brighton uniform.

As a star player representing Japan, he also has significant market value. Earlier, the British 'BBC' stated, "Mitoma is one of the most popular players at Brighton. Club officials are sharply aware of the commercial impact he has on the Japanese market. Brighton even conducted a preseason tour in Japan."

Mitoma is showcasing exceptional skills this season as well. He has recorded 8 goals and 3 assists, aiming to surpass his career-high from the 2022-2023 season (10 goals and 7 assists). Notably, from mid-January, he scored 5 goals and provided 1 assist in 7 matches, establishing himself as a key player.

Mitoma was also the recipient of the PL goal of the month award in February. He won the award for a fantastic goal scored against Chelsea, surpassing Callum Palmer (Chelsea), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham), and Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham).

At the time, Mitoma received a long pass from the goalkeeper and evaded the opposing defender with a perfect touch. He then broke through and curled the ball into the corner of the goal with his right foot. Thanks to this, Brighton defeated Chelsea 3-0.

It was an impressive goal that even brought out 'God of Football' Lionel Messi. Liverpool alumnus Jamie Carragher remarked, "It will be the best touch we see in the PL this season. It was reminiscent of Messi." Brighton’s coach, Fabian Furcellera, also praised, "I don't know if I've ever seen a goal like this in my career as a manager. It was very special."

Liverpool is considering acquiring the rising star Mitoma to strengthen their wing attack. Darwin Núñez has fallen out of favor due to a lack of goal-scoring ability, and both Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz have not performed as expected. Moreover, Mohamed Salah, nicknamed 'Pharaoh,' is also facing uncertainty as his contract expires at the end of this season.

If Mitoma wears the Liverpool uniform, he will be playing alongside his Japanese national team colleague Wataru Endo. The captain of the Japanese national team, Endo has been playing for Liverpool since 2023. However, his role has significantly diminished this season, so it is not impossible that Endo could transfer next summer even if Mitoma joins.

However, it is expected that Liverpool will need to pay a substantial transfer fee to complete the acquisition of Mitoma. Give Me Sport noted, "Brighton values Mitoma at around £46 million. Despite growing interest from PL clubs, there is a growing feeling that he will soon re-sign with Brighton. Mitoma also rejected an offer from Saudi Arabia in January."

In fact, during the last winter transfer window, Saudi Al Nassr strongly desired Mitoma. Al Nassr boasts prominent stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, Aymeric Laporte, and Marcelo Brozović.

However, their performance is so precarious that even finishing 3rd in the Saudi Pro League is in doubt. Last season, they finished 2nd behind Al Hilal and have not reached the top of the league since Ronaldo's arrival. For this reason, Al Nassr has made Mitoma their top target, sending two offers to Brighton.

The transfer fee was also enormous. Had Mitoma joined Al Nassr, he could have set a new record for the highest transfer fee for an Asian player. The previous record of £50 million (about 75.3 billion won) was established in 2023 when Kim Min-jae transferred from Napoli to Bayern Munich.

According to the BBC, Al Nassr offered £54.4 million (about 98 billion won) for Mitoma at that time, but it was rejected. Furthermore, 'CBS Sports' reported that Al Nassr could raise the amount to as much as $112 million (about 162.8 billion won). However, Brighton firmly maintained their stance that they could not let Mitoma go mid-season, and Mitoma himself had no intention of leaving the team. Ultimately, Al Nassr abandoned negotiations, and Mitoma's transfer did not materialize.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Timothy Steve, Sky Sports, Premier League social media.

[OSEN = Go Sung-hwan, Reporter]