Takefusa Kubo the ‘Japanese Messi’ who grew up at La Masia – but chose Real Madrid over Barcelona
TAKEFUSA KUBO will not get the 50,000 fan welcome that Eden Hazard managed when he was announced as a Real Madrid player.
But the club hierarchy saw the signing of the Japanese teenager as just as big a statement as that of the £150million Belgian.
That's because Kubo - who has predictably been dubbed the 'Japanese Messi' - was stolen from right under the noses of bitter rivals Barcelona.
The 18-year-old, who is already a full Japanese international, was on the books of Barcelona for four years, training at the famed La Masia academy.
A left-footed No10 or right-winger, Kubo was first spotted at the age of eight by club scouts, having won a Most Valuable Player award at a camp arranged by Barca in Japan.
He joined the club at ten, training there from 2011 to 2015.
Kubo would have been in Catalonia longer but for circumstances out of his hand - Barcelona were found to have violated Fifa's international transfer policy on signing under-18s.
The club were banned from signing players for 14 months but, more importantly for Kubo, signed players who violated the rules were no longer eligible to play for the club.
Kubo could have stayed at La Masia and continued to train there but would not have been able to play in any competitive matches.
Instead he opted to return to Japan and sign with J.League giants FC Tokyo.
His decision paid dividends, with Kubo fast-tracked to the senior side.
At 15 years, five months and a day he became the youngest player to ever play in the Japanese top flight, and then five months later he become the youngest player to score in senior Japanese football.
He was also a member of the Japanese Under-20 side at the 2017 World Cup, aged 15.
Kubo continued to develop, and this season has really come into his own.
He scored five goals and added four assists for FC Tokyo this season and was named in Japan's 2019 Copa America squad.
Earlier this month, Real Madrid announced they had made a deal with the forward.
BARCA BLUNDER
After four years away, many in Japan and Spain expected Kubo to return to Barcelona.
But according to Spanish media, Real Madrid took advantage of Barca's ignorance - the Catalan club believed his contract ran until the end of January, while Real knew it expired in June.
Reports claim that Barcelona, as well as Paris Saint-Germain, had been misled by a mistake on the Transfermarkt website.
The signing was seen as a massive win in the Madrid media, not only because Los Blancos beat Barca to the player, but because it made them look bad.
Kubo will play for Real Madrid Castilla - the B team - next season, under the tutelage of club legend and second-highest goalscorer Raul.
Kubo, who signed a five-year deal worth around £20,000-a-week, said: "I am very happy to have signed for Real Madrid.
"I'm calm.
"It's a normal day, but I'm very happy."
In a statement on their website, the club described him as "a technically gifted and hugely talented attacking midfielder, he possess wonderful vision, quick feet and has an eye for goal."
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As well as being the 'Japanese Messi', Kubo is described as Japan's 'next great hope', a moniker previously given to Hidetoshi Nakata, Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and others.
And although Kubo now has the weight of Japan on his shoulders, there's one thing the level-headed playmaker doesn't like.
"I don’t like being compared to Messi,"he said.
"But one day I hope to be able to play like him."
