On the Rise | Riku Yamane, 23, Defensive midfielder — Yokohama F. Marinos

Yamane is on this list for his trajectory more than his 2024 numbers. That season he started only 10 of his 28 J1 matches, and his per-90 profile was solid rather than striking: among the 74 J1 midfielders with 900+ minutes he ranked 15th for successful dribbles and 29th for interceptions, with no goals. Since then the minutes have come — 1,846 in 2025, then all 20 of his appearances as a starter (1,744 minutes) in the 2026 special season. Over that half-season Football LAB ranked him 9th in J1 for its possession-winning Chance Building Point and 48th for passing, which is the clearest sign that the ball-winning side of his game has grown into a starting role.

The limits are just as clear. He does not score or create much directly: one assist in 2024, and his duels won per 90 sat in the bottom half of the pool. Our dataset has no passing-volume or progression data (API-Football does not provide it), which matters for a player whose job is to circulate the ball, so the case above rests on ball-carrying, interceptions and Football LAB's CBP rather than a full on-ball profile. He also started the 2026/27 season on the bench — two substitute appearances in the first five rounds — before regaining a starting place from round 6 and scoring his first goal of the season against Mito on 19 September.

Stylistically, the fit is a possession side that asks its defensive midfielder to win the ball back high and carry it out of pressure — the profile Eredivisie and Belgian Pro League clubs have recruited from J1 before. That is a comment on style, not on level: nothing here says he is ready for a specific European league, and his reported contract end (June 2027) means any move is more likely to be discussed next summer than this winter. We will grade this pick against what happens by the end of the 2026/27 season.