Real Madrid have signed Japanese youngster Eiji Kubo – the brother of Takefusa (pictured), who the club bought earlier this summer.
Eiji is just a 12-year-old and will be incorporated into the club’s youth system, but the move of the player’s family to the Spanish capital has been done to help Takefusa adapt to life in Madrid.
The younger brother has previously played as a midfielder in the youth teams of Yokohama Marinos and is now set to undergo a Spanish course while Takefusa is already fluent, having previously played in Barcelona’s youth system and undertaken an intensive course, claim Marca.
The attack-minded player Takefusa Kubo spent four years in the Blaugrana’s La Masia youth academy but had to leave the club in 2015 when Barcelona were sanctioned for signing underage players illegally.
Kubo, who has been nicknamed ‘the Japanese Messi’, then signed for FC Tokyo but he celebrated his 18th birthday earlier this month and was subsequently available to return to European football – with Madrid pouncing.
The Japan Under-20 international was said to have caught the attention of sporting directors of ‘Europe’s biggest clubs’, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.
Kubo netted six goals across 30 appearances for former club FC Tokyo.
