Player Suggestion Ryataro Ito

[jono_t2000]

Ryataro Ito (25)
Club: Alibrex Nigata
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Notes: Player that Celtic are reportedly taking a look at and we know what success they have had with Japanese players. Good driving forward with the ball and arguably an even more potent finisher.

 

[brownblade]

We should sign each/any player that's near the Japanese national team, that we can afford - must be some bargains. Great stamina as a general rule and it's a nation consistently producing higher calibre players as the years go on.

 

[Inter_blade83]

We should sign each/any player that's near the Japanese national team, that we can afford - must be some bargains. Great stamina as a general rule and it's a nation consistently producing higher calibre players as the years go on.

Agreed. Saw them against Croatia in November, and they had some very handy players.

 

[sportsmanblade]

A free agent this lad most of the Japanese players ive seen in english football are fittest most hard working in the league, COH replacement on a free

 

[Balham]

Great shout. Can someone let Wilder know that Peroni is now owned by Asahi, a Japanese firm?

 

[sportsmanblade]

Cant imagine they command high wages either

 

[Champagneblade]

I promised I would try to avoid doing this but was having a chat with AI the other day!

Yes — I think your framing is much more accurate. If O’Hare leaves, I’d look at Itō primarily as an O’Hare replacement, not a Hamer replacement.
The timing is particularly interesting because Wrexham have reportedly made a £6.5m bid for O’Hare, with talks ongoing, and he has started all three of United’s league games this season.
Ito vs O’Hare
There are actually quite a few similarities:

​	Callum O’Hare​	Ryōtarō Itō​
Main role	No. 10	No. 10 / attacking midfielder
Age	28	28
Creativity	Excellent	Excellent
Between-the-lines play	Excellent	Excellent
Goal threat	Good	Very good last season
Pressing/work rate	High	Reasonable
Defensive contribution	Better	Weaker
Experience in England	Huge advantage	None
European adaptation	—	Already adapted
Transfer fee	£6.5m+ if Wrexham bid	Free agent

And Ito’s 2025/26 season is particularly compelling: 10 goals and 5 assists, after previously being much more of a creator than a scorer.
Where I think Ito could fit
If United lose O’Hare, I wouldn’t necessarily try to find another player who looks exactly like him.
I’d be tempted to use something like:
Brereton Díaz — striker/left-sided forward
Ito — No.10
right-sided attacker
with Ito having freedom to drift into the half-spaces and receive between the midfield and defence.
That would actually give United a slightly different attacking profile.
O’Hare is more of a ball-carrier/pressing No.10, whereas Ito looks more like a chance-creation specialist. STVV described him when they signed him as a creative hub from which many of their attacking moves originated.
And I agree on Brereton Díaz
I wouldn’t describe BBD as the Hamer replacement either in a positional sense, but he makes the Hamer departure less damaging because he changes the balance of the attack.
With Hamer gone back to Coventry, United have lost that combination of:

• midfield ball-carrying
• set pieces
• goals from midfield
• physicality
• late runs

You can’t really replace all of that with one player.
But if Brereton Díaz gives United a genuine left-sided attacking threat, it allows the team to redistribute those responsibilities rather than asking one midfielder to do everything.
And the current situation makes the O’Hare question much more important. The latest reports explicitly note that BBD’s arrival has allowed O’Hare to move back into his preferred central role after covering on the wing.
So I’d see it as:
Hamer → not directly replaced by BBD
O’Hare → potentially replaced by Ito
BBD → gives United the left-sided attacking option they need
And if United could get Ito on a free, that becomes a very intriguing piece of business.

 

[DifferentClass]

Never had a Japanese player before have we?

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

I liked O'Hare for his honest work rate you could see he enjoyed his job/position..i think he is half Japanese,every time he got fouled he would get up clasp his hands together and bow at his aggressor.

 

[HAP]

A free agent this lad most of the Japanese players ive seen in english football are fittest most hard working in the league, COH replacement on a free

Mentioned him on free agents post, very surprised he's still available.

 

[AdamSufc1997]

Too much hard work for Mikey Allen and Jamie hoyland

 

[S40BLADE]

Can we all pretend hes played here before so we can sign him

 

[TomTheBlade1889]

I imagine work permit qualification would be a major obstacle for this one

 

[sportsmanblade]

he would take an ESC spot wont he ?

 

[sportsmanblade]

I imagine work permit qualification would be a major obstacle for this one

Wouldnt he take up an ESC spot

 

[Brownieblade]

No way Wilder will consider it

 

[TomTheBlade1889]

Wouldnt he take up an ESC spot

ESC spots can only be used for players under the age of 23 now.

 

[sportsmanblade]

Oh right wouldnt he qualify anyway the normal route whats the parameters.

ESC spots can only be used for players under the age of 23 now.

 

[DifferentClass]

No way Wilder will consider it

Just change his first name to Ryan then.

 

[Aston max]

No way Wilder will consider it

Probably one of wilders mates granddad's was in changhi

Before dogs abuse my great uncle was

 

[LiamBG]

Im all in on this guy having only ever heard of him this morning.

 

[Bladesman]

He had a hamstring and an ankle injury last season but both injuries only kept him out for about a month.

He doesn't sound injury ridden enough for us.

 

[Bladey_blade]

Oh right wouldnt he qualify anyway the normal route whats the parameters.

He would

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Gets 18 points here so eligable

 

[Champagneblade]

he should qualify for a UK work permit
I’ve checked the actual FA 2026/27 GBE regulations, rather than assuming the old rules.
The Belgian First Division A is Band 2 under the current rules — the same band as the English Championship.
For a player who doesn’t automatically qualify through international appearances, the FA requires 15 GBE points.
Ito has only one Japan cap, so he won’t get through the international automatic route. But that’s not a problem.
His club record should get him comfortably over the 15-point threshold.
Rough GBE calculation

Criterion​	Ito​
Domestic league minutes	~8 points
STVV’s league status/qualification	~1 point
Current/last club league quality	10 points
International	0
Total	~19 points

The FA’s table gives a Band 2 player 8 points for 70–79% domestic league minutes, rising to 10 for 80–89%.
And Ito played roughly 2,840 minutes across a 40-match Belgian season — while starting 34 of those games. That’s an exceptionally strong playing-time profile.
The really important thing is that being a free agent doesn’t wipe out his previous club record. The 2026/27 regulations specifically explain how free agents’ previous-club minutes are treated, and define STVV as his relevant current/last club for the calculation.
So, yes: I believe Sheffield United could sign Ito without needing an ESC exception slot.
That’s actually quite significant.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Email this thread to the club scouts..tell em to pull their fingers.

 

[Gin&Juice]

No chance. Imagine

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

very surprised he's still available.

With this career path I’m surprised anyone has heard of him. I’m certain anyone at United won’t have

 

[Bladey_blade]

With this career path I’m surprised anyone has heard of him. I’m certain anyone at United won’t have

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Hopefully he played well against Beerschot as that's the only way we would

 

[sportsmanblade]

He's in form last season, that's all that matters. In a league Arsenal just signed a new winger from i believe.

 

[Macfarlane21]

Awkward when members of the forum can scout players better than the club

Gerrim in!!!