Top 10 Players in Asia in 2016

[perspolis#1]

Omar AbdulRahman has potential to be greater but he is definitely going down a Karimi esque path. He is already 25 and halfway to 26. Most top notch European clubs will not buy an Asian player past the age of 26 unless they are absolutely worth the deal. He would not survive in Italy or in England. La Liga he would be able to have a decent shot due to less physicality.

Call me a skeptic but if Nekounam at the age of 35 and Teimourian at 33 can body him and blank him imagine what pain Wanyama, Kouyate, Koulibaly would do.

[pres80]

My Final List
1- Son (tottenham) ( South Korea)
2- Kagawa (Dortmund) (Japan)
3- Azmoun (Rostov) (Iran)
4 - Okazaki (Leicester) ( Japan)
5-Rogic ( celtic) (Australia)
6-Jahanbaksh (AZ) (Iran)
7- Koo Ja Chaeol ( Augsburg) (South Korea)
8- abdulrahman (Al Ain) (UAE)
9 - Nagatomo (Inter) (Japan)
10 - Mohammadi (Terek) (Iran)
if no abdulrahman, a case can be made for Ansarifard (olympiacos) or sakai (hamburg)(Japan), either of which would come in as my number 10 pushing nagatomo and mohammadi up to 8th and 9th.

Agree for the most part but would swap Okazaki with Kagawa, winning the EPL and scoring many clutch goals needs to count for something.

[inarsenewetrust]

Agree for the most part but would swap Okazaki with Kagawa, winning the EPL and scoring many clutch goals needs to count for something.

well given 2016 is sover the course of one half season and the half season of the other, its just no fair to give 2nd to okazaki. Kagawas numbers in bundesliga are excellent (13 goals and 13 assists or something like that) over the course of 2016. Okazakis numbers in comparision are very poor, even if he did score many clutch goals. That why I have him in at 4 (still very high) and kagawa at 2.

[pres80]

well given 2016 is sover the course of one half season and the half season of the other, its just no fair to give 2nd to okazaki. Kagawas numbers in bundesliga are excellent (13 goals and 13 assists or something like that) over the course of 2016. Okazakis numbers in comparision are very poor, even if he did score many clutch goals. That why I have him in at 4 (still very high) and kagawa at 2.

That's a fair point and I can agree with you that taking into account Okazaki this season is a good enough reason for him to drop lower but then again Kagawa came to EPL and could not achieve anything so I just don't feel he is the 2nd best asian player. Azmoun is arguably a better choice for second, with even this half season having had much more important goals, No?

[Iranianarsenal11]

I see everyone here is sleeping on Bahador Pourkey... Best Asian Player IMO

[littlepersia17]

Kagawa at 10 , lol with irvine, mooy, and jae sung ahead of him ?? wtf, his stats for 2016 for dortmund are incredible. Second best asian player behind Son.

Kagawa - 5 goals, 3 assists in 2016 (transfermarkt) as a centre attacking midfielder.

Mooy - 7 goals, 6 assists as a central midfielder.

Irvine - 9 goals as centre defensive midfielder.

[teammelli91]

Sardar and Alireza should definitely be in the top 10 players from Asia in 2016.

[Tehranto]

The factors for this is club + country. The country factor is an important one to consider as well. Iran has been the best team of Asia in 2016 - so this will help Iran's starters in the rankings.

[Tehranto]

My Final List
1- Son (tottenham) ( South Korea)
2- Kagawa (Dortmund) (Japan)
3- Azmoun (Rostov) (Iran)
4 - Okazaki (Leicester) ( Japan)
5-Rogic ( celtic) (Australia)
6-Jahanbaksh (AZ) (Iran)
7- Koo Ja Chaeol ( Augsburg) (South Korea)
8- abdulrahman (Al Ain) (UAE)
9 - Nagatomo (Inter) (Japan)
10 - Mohammadi (Terek) (Iran)
if no abdulrahman, a case can be made for Ansarifard (olympiacos) or sakai (hamburg)(Japan), either of which would come in as my number 10 pushing nagatomo and mohammadi up to 8th and 9th.

This list is a good and fair one. I would argue perhaps Azmoun over Kagawa because Azmoun constantly performs (i.e. goal v. South Korea) and starts for Iran, who were better than Japan this year, while Kagawa sometimes does not.

[Tehranto]

I'm thinking we should make it top 20. That way, there is a more expansive net and also more borderline cases of top 10 will make it as well.

[inarsenewetrust]

I'm thinking we should make it top 20. That way, there is a more expansive net and also more borderline cases of top 10 will make it as well.

No top 20 is too broad, many players will be included. Top 10 is more exclusive, interesting. Its good to have to make some tough choices, shows that asian football isnt doing that badly. top 20 means that most asian players in europe will be in lol

[Tehranto]

inarsenewetrust has decided to help me write the article - so thank you to him. If anyone else wants to contribute and knows this subject relatively well, let me know.

[littlepersia17]

Top 10 Players in Asia in 2016

My Final List
1- Son (tottenham) ( South Korea)
2- Kagawa (Dortmund) (Japan)
3- Azmoun (Rostov) (Iran)
4 - Okazaki (Leicester) ( Japan)
5-Rogic ( celtic) (Australia)
6-Jahanbaksh (AZ) (Iran)
7- Koo Ja Chaeol ( Augsburg) (South Korea)
8- abdulrahman (Al Ain) (UAE)
9 - Nagatomo (Inter) (Japan)
10 - Mohammadi (Terek) (Iran)
if no abdulrahman, a case can be made for Ansarifard (olympiacos) or sakai (hamburg)(Japan), either of which would come in as my number 10 pushing nagatomo and mohammadi up to 8th and 9th.

Why is Kagawa ahead of Azmoun?

In 2016: (according to Transfermarkt)

- Azmoun has 10 goals, 4 assists for Rostov (club has scored 52 goals in 2016)

Kagawa has 5 goals, 3 assists for Dortmund (Club has scored 130 goals in 2016)

As you can see, Sardar has scored/assisted more than Kagawa, despite Dortmund scoring almost 3 times as many goals as Rostov in 2016. Another thing to consider is Kagawa's goals in 2016 have comes against the likes of Wolfsburg (2-2), and Legia (8-4).

Azmoun scored against the likes of Anderlecht (2-0), Ajax (4-1), Atletico (1-2), and Bayern (3-2).

Another thing I find hard to understand is why is Nagatomo in the list?

In all his 19 starts in 2016, he has managed to help the team keep only 5 clean sheets. He has lost his place in the team, as he has not started in any of Inter's last 5 matches.

Why isn't someone like Jackson Irvine on the list?

As a centre defensive midfielder, Irvine has 8 goals for Burton Albion (scoring 31% of the team's goals from that deep position)

[inarsenewetrust]

Why is Kagawa ahead of Azmoun?
In 2016: (according to Transfermarkt)
- Azmoun has 10 goals, 4 assists for Rostov (club has scored 52 goals in 2016)
Kagawa has 5 goals, 3 assists for Dortmund (Club has scored 130 goals in 2016)
As you can see, Sardar has scored/assisted more than Kagawa, despite Dortmund scoring almost 3 times as many goals as Rostov in 2016. Another thing to consider is Kagawa's goals in 2016 have comes against the likes of Wolfsburg (2-2), and Legia (8-4).
Azmoun scored against the likes of Anderlecht (2-0), Ajax (4-1), Atletico (1-2), and Bayern (3-2).
Another thing I find hard to understand is why is Nagatomo in the list?
In all his 19 starts in 2016, he has managed to help the team keep only 5 clean sheets. He has lost his place in the team, as he has not started in any of Inter's last 5 matches.
Why isn't someone like Jackson Irvine on the list?
As a centre defensive midfielder, Irvine has 8 goals for Burton Albion (scoring 31% of the team's goals from that deep position)

Inter Milan are currently 6th in serie A. Burton Albion are 21st in the championship. I myself was hesitant to put nagatomo in, but he played very well in the second half of the season last year. Sakai from hamburg is probably a better shout. But this random guy, irvine, I have never heard of (not saying that means he is bad) and the level of team he plays for vs inter isnt really comparable lol. Tafazolli has been key for peterborough this season, and for Macclesfield Town last, that doesnt mean he should be anywhere close to this list.
As for Kagawa and azmoun, this was another tossup. Kagawa is a key player for dortmund, and actually has 9 goals and 5 assists for dortmund in 2016, but he has missed many games this season due to injury. In the final list i make with tehranto, it is very likely that Azmoun could be put 2 and kagawa at 3. But, from an objective stand point, his league stats for rostov in the first half of this season have been poor. Obviously his CL, and TM contributions have been very impressive.

[littlepersia17]

Top 10 Players in Asia in 2016

Inter Milan are currently 6th in serie A. Burton Albion are 21st in the championship. I myself was hesitant to put nagatomo in, but he played very well in the second half of the season last year. Sakai from hamburg is probably a better shout. But this random guy, irvine, I have never heard of (not saying that means he is bad) and the level of team he plays for vs inter isnt really comparable lol. Tafazolli has been key for peterborough this season, and for Macclesfield Town last, that doesnt mean he should be anywhere close to this list.
As for Kagawa and azmoun, this was another tossup. Kagawa is a key player for dortmund, and actually has 9 goals and 5 assists for dortmund in 2016, but he has missed many games this season due to injury. In the final list i make with tehranto, it is very likely that Azmoun could be put 2 and kagawa at 3. But, from an objective stand point, his league stats for rostov in the first half of this season have been poor. Obviously his CL, and TM contributions have been very impressive.

Inter are 6th in the table partly because they stopped playing Nagatomo in Left Back. Being in a good team DOES NOT EQUAL contributing in a team.

As for your stats on Kagawa, I suggest you revisit them.

It also seems that we are neglecting Australian players a little too much. Irvine and Mooy play in the same league that Gucci disappointed in, yet he is scoring for fun in the eredivisie.

It's seems that the Championship is more competitive than the eredivisie (and Greek league for that matter). It would be a little biased to put Ansarifard and AJ in the list, but not put Mooy and Irvine.