In a scout report of Japan's Kaito Taniguchi from Albirex Niigata, the 28-year-old striker shows a commendable ability to hold his own in the J1 League. The modular nature of his skills allows him to be fluent in other positions such as Left Midfielder and Attacking Midfielder, amplifying his value. What immediately stands out is Taniguchi's significant strength in ball recovery and ball retention, where he lies in the upper quartiles of all strikers in the league. His impressive pass accuracy also captures attention.
The duality of his style of play is captured in his ability to progress the ball via carrying and passing, though his carrying stats might need a little work. On the attacking front, his productivity is slightly above par, with goal efficiency close to the halfway mark. It's clear he isn't the most prolific goal threat, but when he shoots, it's usually on target. However, his relative weakness lies in his chance creation and overall goal threat, where his numbers fall below average. Moreover, his metrics in terms of successful dribbles and expected goal contributions (often indicated by xG) per game suggest he may need to up his game significantly to raise his profile as a game-changing striker.
Equipped with the penchant for persistence and potential, Taniguchi's game definition is a mix of defensive solidity and sporadic attacking flashes, though more consistency in front of the goal could establish him as a more potent forward in the J1 League.
Kaito Taniguchi Key stats
Kaito Taniguchi Career Trend
Kaito Taniguchi Shot Maps
Kaito Taniguchi Shot Summary
In the 2024 season, Kaito Taniguchi took 30 shots, scoring 4 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 2.04, averaging 0.07 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 2 goals from 19 shots. A 10.53% conversion rate. 0.05 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 1 goals from 6 shots. A 16.67% conversion rate. 0.09 xG per shot.
Headers: 1 goals from 5 headed attempts. A 20.0% conversion rate. 0.12 xG per shot.
