Barcelona Officially Attract Hiroki Abe

DBasia.news –  Barcelona confirmed the recruitment of Japanese wonderkid Hiroki Abe from Kashima Antlers.

Still 20 years old, Abe sticking out as one of Japan’s best prospects since debuting in 2017. Abe’s status as the Best Young Player of the 2018 J.League proves his great potential.

The attacker was part of the Kashima squad which managed to win the 2018 Asian Champions League. Abe also just carved caps in the senior Japanese national team when appearing in the 2019 Copa America. Not surprisingly, many European clubs were attracted to Abe before finally being caught by Barcelona.

“I have spent two and a half years in Kashima Antlers since graduating from high school. Here, I have not only developed as a professional footballer but also as a human,” Abe said.

“Leaving the club is certainly a difficult decision. But I chose to start a new adventure in Barcelona because I believe the challenges I face in the future will help me continue to grow.”

Abe has become the second Japanese youngster to be the target of Europe’s top clubs in recent years. Previously, there was Takefusa Kubo who had studied at the Barcelona academy, but the player nicknamed “The Japanese Messi” has now anchored to Real Madrid.

Abe is believed to be immediately placed in Barcelona B. However, the potential for promotion of the Blaugrana senior team remains open if he shows significant progress.