Chelsea enter race to sign Japanese striker after Kaoru Mitoma’s success in Premier League - Reports

Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Japanese attacker Keisuke Goto from J2 League outfit Jubilo Iwata.

According to the Daily Mail, multiple other European clubs other than Chelsea are interested in Goto, 18, too. They include the Blues' London rivals West Ham United, AFC Ajax and Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Sevilla in Spain.

Chelsea, who have invested heavily in youth in recent transfer windows, reportedly reckon Goto has the physical qualities and skills needed to do well in the Premier League. The report adds that Kaoru Mitoma's success at Brighton & Hove Albion last season has also made European clubs recognize the talent available in Japan.

Mitoma joined the Seagulls from Kawasaki Frontale in the summer of 2021. He spent the 2021-22 season on loan with Belgian outfit Union SG, recording eight goals and four assists in 29 games across competitions.

Brighton kept him for the 2022-23 campaign, where he put in some splendid displays. Mitoma, 26, scored ten goals and laid out eight assists in 41 games across competitions, including seven goals and six assists in 33 Premier League games.

He also averaged 1.2 key passes, 1.8 dribbles and 4.5 duels per league game, helping his side finish sixth. They also made the semifinals of the FA Cup, where they lost to Manchester United on penalties. Mitoma scored and assisted twice apiece in five games in the competition.

The Daily Mail's report also adds that Japan's impressive display at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has turned heads across Europe. The Samurai Blue made it to the Round of 16 after topping a group that had Spain and Germany. They took Croatia to penalties in the last 16 but eventually fell short.

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Chelsea target Keisuke Goto impressed for Jubilo Iwata last season

As mentioned earlier, Keisuke Goto features for Japanese second-tier side Jubilo Iwata. The teenager made it o their first team this year after spending some time in their academy. Last season, the reported Chelsea target scored ten goals in 18 games across competitions for their U18 side (as per Transfermarkt).

In the ongoing J2 League season, Goto has featured in 20 of Jubilo's 26 games, recording five goals in 755 minutes of action. His displays have helped lift the team to second place in the standings, seven points behind leaders Machida Zelvia, who have a game in hand.

The forward was notably expected to play for Japan at this summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup but missed out due to injury. The Asian side failed to make the knockouts, which was won by Uruguay.