Keita Kosugi (2006) is an 18-year-old left-back currently experiencing his first season in European football with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Allsvenskan. The Japanese player, who joined the Swedish side in March 2024, is having a remarkable debut season in professional football. A product of the Shonan Bellmare academy, Kosugi moved straight from the youth ranks to Sweden after previously impressing in the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Championship, where he captained his side to a gold medal after defeating South Korea in the final.
Kosugi is a short (1.72 m) athletic full-back who, despite his height, uses his body extremely well when dueling against stronger players. His electric mobility allows him to excel physically on and off the ball. This, along with his explosive acceleration and stamina, enables him to cover large distances while remaining extremely dynamic throughout the 90 minutes of the game.
At Djurgården, Kosugi mainly operates as a modern full-back on the left side in a 4-2-3-1 system and is very reliable in the build-up phase. An attacking-minded player, he has strong passing skills, including one of the aspects I appreciate most: his ability to switch the game to the other side to relieve pressure on the left flank. When carrying the ball, he shows good balance, using both feet to progress through forward and diagonal runs. Finally, when stepping into the opposition’s half, Kosugi becomes an unpredictable player for defenders, utilizing his acceleration and dribbling in frontal 1v1 situations. Considering he is just experiencing his first season in professional football, I expect him to venture further into the final third in the future. So far, he has proven to possess a good technical level when crossing and shooting from medium and long range, scoring both of his goals at Djurgården from outside the box.
Defensively, he is a player who could adapt exceptionally well to a high-pressing system. Given his mobility, Kosugi excels when pressing forward, displaying good timing and decision-making on when to jump and press the opposition. In a low block, he is capable of defending the box effectively at this level. However, he needs to improve on directing his clearances more effectively. He is smart in gauging when to engage in duels—both on the ground and aerially—but most of his clearances tend to go into dangerous areas unnecessarily. Despite his height, he is aggressive enough in duels to succeed against stronger players. Moreover, Kosugi can accomplish this cleanly. It is unusual to see him tackle, as he prefers to stay on his feet, using his reaction speed and acceleration to quickly recover position if outrun by the opposition.
It is also remarkable how maturely he behaves on the pitch, considering his age and lack of professional experience. He is often seen communicating and commanding his teammates in English, which suggests he would adapt fairly well to new dynamics.
Kosugi is a player who won’t last long in the Allsvenskan. He has the potential to soon play for an important Eredivisie or Belgian Pro League side, and considering his current trajectory for adaptation and competitive mentality on the pitch, I believe he will eventually end up playing in the Bundesliga or the Premier League.
Target Scouting 
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