Behind Kōta Takai's rapid three-year rise to the Premier League with Tottenham

Only back in April 2022, Kōta Takai was about to make his professional debut as a 17-year-old coming through the ranks of J1 League outfit Kawasaki Frontale.

On Tuesday, his rapid rise over the past three years took another big leap as his move to Tottenham was confirmed by the Premier League giants.

Still only 20, Takai has already been capped four times by Japan at senior level and looks a legitimate chance to be part of their squad for next year's FIFA World Cup.

So how exactly the Yokohama native, who only came out of his teenage years last September, make such a noteworthy ascent to arguably Europe's biggest league in such a short span of time?

Where it all began

In April 2022, while it had been two years since the coronavirus pandemic first escalated, prevailing heightened safety measures meant that Asia's premier club competition -- now known as the AFC Champions League Elite -- was still being played in centralised venues.

Kawasaki found themselves in Malaysia for their Group I campaign hosted by Johor Darul Ta'zim and their travelling squad boasted several up-and-coming prospects, including Takai.

Their opening game against Ulsan HD saw Takai sit on the bench as an unused substitute.

In their next match, against a Guangzhou FC outfit made up entirely of youth team players, Kawasaki remarkably -- but perhaps unsurprisingly -- found themselves leading 5-0 at halftime.

With the win almost certainly in the bag, it paved the way for Takai to make his professional debut as he came off the bench two minutes before the hour mark.

Takai would not feature for the remainder of Kawasaki's time in Johor Bahru. In fact, that half-hour or so would be his only first-team minutes that year.

But in 2023, he was properly integrated into the senior side. The following year, his growing importance would be highlighted by a change of jersey number from 29 to 2.

And by the end of 2024, Takai was a legitimate rising star of Japanese football, having played his part in his country's AFC U-23 Asian Cup triumph, featured in the Paris Olympics and been named the J.League's Best Young Player of that year.

Who is Kōta Takai now?

Composed but alert with his defensive duties while being in possession and capable of distributing the ball out from the back, Takai is every bit the modern-day centre-back.

While Asian players looking to make it in Europe have often previously been hampered by stature and physicality, Takai's 1.92-metre height is a real asset.

His lanky frame, however, will need filling out. He has not had the extra years of gym work that helped compatriot and former Japan captain Maya Yoshida succeed in the Premier League with Southampton, nor the natural hulking stature of Bayern Munich man Kim Min-Jae that allowed the South Korea international to make an effortless transition to Europe.

Still, Takai reads the game like a veteran although the pace of the Premier League might take some getting used to.

Exuding a maturity beyond his years both on and off the field, illustrated by the fact that he was handed the Kawasaki captain's armband on several occasions, Takai has been regularly called up by Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu over the past year and has been given a chance to prove his worth at senior international level after the dominant Samurai Blue secured their place at next year's World Cup well in advance.

Takai also boasts plenty of continental experience after playing a pivotal role in Kawasaki's run to last season's ACL Elite final, where he found himself up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jhon Durán, Ivan Toney and Roberto Firmino.

Is success at Spurs guaranteed?

Despite his undeniable talent, Takai's transfer to Tottenham represents a leap of faith for both parties.

Talented Asian prospects rarely make a move directly to one of the most prominent clubs in Europe.

The notable exceptions are Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-In, who were both such outstanding talents from an early age that they were already in the academy ranks of notable European clubs such as Barcelona and Valencia respectively.

Even current Spurs captain Son Heung-Min, who can now stake his claim to being Asia's greatest footballer, had to cut his teeth initially with Hamburg when they were a mid-table team in the Bundesliga.

The last player to move from Asia and become an immediate hit for one of European football's leading clubs is arguably Shinji Kagawa, who joined Borussia Dortmund as a relative unknown from Cerezo Osaka and instantly became a key member in the Jürgen Klopp-led side that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles.

There is a risk that Takai will find himself not yet ready to be thrown into the deep.

Cynics might also feel Spurs are taking a bit of a gamble on someone yet to prove himself outside of Asia, although the £5 million Spurs have reportedly forked out seems a bargain in the current era of big spending -- even if the fee, if accurate, would be a J1 League record.

While his ability is certainly there, there is also plenty of hard work that lies ahead for Takai.

What does the immediate future hold?

It would not be far-fetched to assume that Takai's short-term future might follow a path familiar to many Asian hopefuls.

An oft-travelled route involves a transitional period to adapt and improve in nations such as Netherlands and Belgium, or at a lower-ranked team in a stronger competition like the Bundesliga.

So even when they sign directly for a club in one of Europe's top leagues, it many be via a loan spell that sees them gain experience before returning for a shot at breaking through.

That was exactly what happened with a player now regarded as one of Asia's best in Kaoru Mitoma, a fellow Kawasaki product who had to bide his time with a temporary spell in the Belgian Pro League before emerging as a bona fide Premier League star with Brighton.

It is also the same process Spurs have opted with another Asian import in Yang Min-Hyeok, who arrived at the club in January and then proceeded to see out the remainder of the 2024-25 season a level lower at Championship outfit QPR.

That could be the short-term future that awaits Takai although early murmurs suggest he could be part of new Tottenham coach Thomas Frank's first-team plans for the upcoming season.

Given Takai's contract runs through to 2030, there is hardly any need for him to be in any rush to prove himself.

But considering how rapid his rise has been, it should not come as a surprise if Takai is pulling on the Tottenham jersey in a high-stakes Premier League encounter sooner rather than later.