Son Heung-Min, Mitoma, and Mancini. Who to Watch in the 2023 Asian Cup

Only one day left until the start of the 2023 Asian Cup. Tomorrow, in the opening match of the tournament, the national teams of Qatar and Lebanon will compete. The teams participating in this tournament will bring football stars from the strongest clubs in Europe to their squads. In this material, we will try to understand the key figures of the upcoming championship and suggest who is worth keeping an eye on.

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Vataru Endo (Japan)

The 30-year-old midfielder spent most of his career in his home country and only moved to Europe in 2018, joining the modest Belgian side Sint-Truiden. There, the player proved himself well and moved up to Stuttgart, from where he transferred to Liverpool last summer. In Jurgen Klopp's team, the Japanese player gradually secures a place in the starting lineup and even managed to score a goal. It's worth noting that the defensive midfielder has been playing for the national team since 2015 and is currently its captain.

Kaoru Mitoma (Japan)

Mitoma is in his second season at Brighton in England and has already attracted the attention of top European teams with his performance. Not long ago, there were rumors in the media about a possible transfer of Kaoru to Manchester City, and there was also talk of interest in the player from Barcelona. Interestingly, the winger suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury in mid-December in a match against Crystal Palace and will definitely not be able to help the Japanese national team in the early matches of the tournament.

Son Heung-Min (South Korea)

The captain of Tottenham Hotspur will probably be the main star of the tournament. After Kane's departure, it is the Korean who has taken on the role of the leader of the Spurs, scoring more than ten goals for eight consecutive seasons. The South Korean national team with him and without him are two completely different teams. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this player for his national team, for which he has been playing since 2010. South Korea, along with Japan, is considered the main contender for victory, and Son Heung-Min himself will be the main favorite for the title of the tournament's top scorer.

Mehdi Taremi (Iran)

The Iranian forward made a name for himself in the local championship before moving to Europe, where he became the top scorer of the tournament a couple of times. Taremi only needed one season at the modest Rio Ave to attract the attention of Porto. In the "Dragons" lineup, the forward is the main striking force and consistently scores about twenty goals per season. It is worth noting that the 31-year-old player's contract expires next summer, and the media names him as one of the main contenders for the striker position at Inter Milan.

Takumi Minamino (Japan)

Minamino is a product of the Japanese club Cerezo Osaka, where he played alongside Diego Forlan. In 2015, the Austrian Salzburg signed the young talent, and Minamino, along with Erling Haaland, made a name for himself in the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool invited the player, but he couldn't secure a regular spot in the starting lineup at Anfield. Currently, the Japanese player is trying to revive his career at Monaco. Takumi has been consistently performing for the national team since 2015 and even scored a goal in the lost final of the previous Asian Cup against Qatar.

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Hwang Hee-Chan (South Korea)

Another representative of South Korea in the English Premier League. Hwang Hee-Chan, like Minamino, started his European career at Salzburg. After Austria, the forward played for German clubs Hamburg and Leipzig but had limited success. However, he blossomed in Wolverhampton during the current season. In the current Premier League campaign, Hwang Hee-Chan has scored more goals than in the previous two seasons and is the top scorer of the team. The 27-year-old forward will be an excellent addition to Son in the attack of the South Korean national team in the upcoming tournament.

Kim Min-Jae (South Korea)

The central defender impressed during his time at Fenerbahçe and earned a chance at Napoli in Serie A. In Napoli, the South Korean quickly became a key player, contributing significantly to the team's triumph in Serie A. Last summer, the Munich-based Bayern Munich purchased the defender for 50 million euros, and he immediately fit in and secured a place in the starting lineup of the German champions. Kim has been part of the South Korean national team since 2017, and in the last Asian Cup, he helped his team reach the quarterfinals, where they lost to the eventual champion, Qatar.

Takefusa Kubo (Japan)

One of the most promising players for the Japanese national team at the moment. Kubo spent several years in La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy, in his childhood but had to leave Spain due to Barcelona's violation of registration rules for young players. Four years later, Takefusa returned to the Pyrenees, this time to Real Madrid. Kubo has not played for the first team of "Los Blancos" yet, spending time on loan spells. Since 2022, he has been permanently playing for Real Sociedad. Kubo is only 22, and he undoubtedly has immense potential, so his move to a more prestigious club is expected in the near future.

Lee Kang-In (South Korea)

Lee Kang-In spent a long time in Valencia's youth academy, where he made his professional debut. After a few unsuccessful seasons, he ended up in Mallorca, where he attracted the attention of French PSG with his performance. The summer transfer of the 22-year-old Korean to Paris for 22 million may have surprised many, but the player immediately set out to prove that he is worth the money spent. The midfielder has already established himself in Luis Enrique's starting lineup and even scored in the UEFA Champions League. Watching Lee Kang-In's performances creates the impression that he can build an excellent career in Europe.

Salem Al-Dawsari (Saudi Arabia)

Al-Dawsari is a product of the Saudi club Al-Hilal, where he has played throughout his entire career. In early 2018, the midfielder went on loan to the Spanish side Villarreal but featured in only one match for the "Yellow Submarines." At the end of that season, Salem returned to his homeland, and in the current season, he is leading his team to championship glory, being one of its leaders. He has been part of the national team since 2012 and has scored goals in the last two World Cup tournaments. It was his goal that secured a sensational victory against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.

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In addition to the stellar players, the Asian Cup 2023 will feature several coaching legends. Former Valencia and Inter coach Hector Cuper is leading the Syrian national team, and Jurgen Klinsmann is in charge of the South Korean national team. Juan Pizzi, who led Chile to victory in the Copa America seven years ago, is coaching the Bahrain national team, while Paulo Bento is guiding the UAE national team. The main star of the tournament will be Roberto Mancini, currently leading the Saudi Arabian national team. Interestingly, he has the chance to become a coach who will be a champion in both Europe and Asia at least until June.