Leganés B’s Takuma Nakai (photo taken in September 2025)
In the final matchday of Group 7 in the Spanish fifth division, fifth-placed Leganés B, who had already secured a spot in the promotion playoffs to the fourth division, faced 13th-placed México at home. MF Takuma Nakai (22), who had been sidelined for about half a year due to a long-term injury until April, made his first start since last October.
The Sunday midday match kicked off under intermittent rain and chilly skies. Nakai played as the attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation. There was concern about his right foot, which he injured during pre-match warm-ups after contact with a teammate, but he played without issue, providing stability and tempo changes to the team, fulfilling his role as a playmaker throughout.
From the start, Nakai distributed the ball left and right in midfield, looking for through balls, and at times linked up with teammates using clever heel passes. In the 31st minute, a powerful left-footed shot struck the crossbar. Defensively, he threw his body into challenges, even staying down for a while after a heavy collision.
In the second half, he continued his linking role, circulating passes in midfield to maintain balance, drawing fouls as opponents increased their pressure, and was substituted in the 24th minute of the half.
It was a intense battle against a team fighting relegation, but Nakai managed to create rhythm and delivered a promising performance. The team suffered a 1-2 defeat after a late red card. After the match, he was seen giving his jersey to a fan.
Nakai, who endured a lengthy injury, played 10 matches this season, concluding the regular season. He will now face the promotion playoffs to the fourth division.
Reflecting on his first start after returning, Nakai said, “I started the final matchday for about 70 minutes. My condition isn’t 100% yet, but I think I played well.”
He had been out for about six months since last October due to a knee injury. “I had been dealing with a right knee meniscus injury for a year. During practice at the end of last October, I injured it again and had surgery on December 1. I’ve been rehabbing for about four months since then. Honestly, this was my longest injury, so it was tough, but I’m glad I could play today and perform well.”
Nakai joined Real Madrid’s youth academy at age 10. He steadily progressed, moving up to the B team Castilla (third division) in the 2022-23 season but rarely played. He then went on multiple loan spells, playing for Rayo Majadahonda (third division) in 2023-24, Amorebieta (third division) in the first half of last season, and Rayo Cantabria (fourth division) in the second half.
This season, he made the big decision to leave Real Madrid after 11 years and joined Leganés’ reserve team (fifth division) on a one-year contract, a club where former Japan international Shibasaki Gaku once played.
He made his official debut for Leganés B in the season opener against Alcorcón B, wearing the number 24 jersey and starting as one of the double pivots. He played regularly until last October, when he felt pain in his right knee, leading to a long absence. He returned to action on April 19 against Móstoles after nearly six months and 24 matches.
“After returning, I felt some discomfort for the first one to two weeks, but now there’s no pain or discomfort in my knee at all. A year ago, I had locking and it hurt to kick with my right foot, but now I can kick with my right foot without fear or discomfort. My knee is fully recovered.”
His contract with Leganés B expires at the end of this season. Regarding his future, he said, “I’ll be a free agent. I don’t know yet if I’ll stay with Leganés or get offers from other teams. But I’m changing my agent to a Japanese agency soon, so I’m also considering offers from Japan. I find playing in Japan appealing.”
The team is heading to the promotion playoffs for the fourth division. “When I was at Castilla, I experienced promotion playoffs from Primera RFEF (third division) to Segunda (second division) with my teammates. But this is my first time in Tercera RFEF (fifth division) playoffs, so it’s a different atmosphere. I’ll give it my all and go into the matches with determination. There are six games until the final, so I want to push hard.” (Communications staff: Takahashi Tomoyuki)
