January Recruitment Research: Japan

Tom Aplin brings us a Japanese update and supplies five OOC options for the UK market

Andy Watson: The emergence of the Japanese market has come as a result of ESC in 2023 and the inclusion of Japan's J1 League into Band 5 in that same summer.

This has made the J1 League a genuine shopping league for UK clubs, and a number of clubs have taken advantage of that.

Tom Aplin has been brought onto the team to specialise in this league for us, and he has done a great job here of highlighting five players who will be available fee-free.

The standard of the players is such that it is difficult to see any L1 or L2 clubs affording the wages, but top Scottish clubs, Championship, and lower Premier League clubs may be interested in these individuals.