John Duerden believes recent examples mean that Takefusa Kubo – dubbed the “Japanese Messi” – should approach any incoming overtures from La Liga giants Barcelona with caution.
There is something about Barcelona that gets the pulse racing – even though for Real Madrid, it may do so in anger and dislike. This romantic and exciting – not to mention massive – club has produced some of the best football and players over the decades, especially in the 21st century.
That reputation, of course, extends to Asia. For millions of fans around the continent, the prospect of one of their countrymen going to play for the Blaugrana is one that thrills and understandably so.
No Asian star – since the Filipino goal machine Paulino Alcantara over a hundred years ago at least – has transferred to the club (that claims to be more than a club) and joined the first team.
There have been a number of youngsters to be recruited to be placed in the famed La Masia academy however. This may not result in the immediate sight of a Asian player turning out at the Nou Camp but it does offer a tantalising suggestion that it could happen in the future.
There were reports in Tokyo over the weekend that young Japanese ‘wunderkid’ Takefusa Kubo, just 16, may join Barcelona when he become 18. He should look at what happened to the trio of South Korean teenagers who were part of the academy until earlier this year.
Lee Seung-woo was the one that took most of the attention as he was a flashy number ten. He was also given the nickname of the ‘Korean Messi’ after the Argentine original. There was also Paik Seung-ho and Jang Gyeol-hee.
Any news coming out of that corner of Catalonia was devoured by a hungry Korean media and spread around the country. The fleeting unpopularity of Barcelona in Korea that came due to a controversial summer tour in 2010 had gone. People were desperate for any sign that one of the three could get close to the first team. Regardless, just having that trio wearing the famous shirt was a source of pride.
Going to Barcelona as a 13 year-old, as Lee did, offered a top-class football education. Lee spent six valuable years there but is now 19 and needs to be playing first team football.
And at Barcelona, that was a distant prospect. The club may have the best facilities, coaching staff and know-how. They may attract the best youngsters in the world so that you are surrounded by talent and driven to be as good as you can be. They may also instill a style of play that many would describe as ‘the right way to play’. Yet, youngsters should be wary.
Just as Paik and Jang have also left Barcelona, Lee said ‘adios’ in August to join Hellas Verona. A lack of competitive playing time showed itself at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in May and June, played on home soil. Lee was seen as Korea Republic’s big hope.
And, at times, he was sublime. A solo goal in the win over Argentina was one of the best you will see this year and the South Koreans strolled out of their tough group with a minimum of fuss. Yet when the pressure was really on, against Portugal in the second round, Lee, as he has been known to do in the past for his country, was ineffectual. He went missing.
At 19, Lee is still young and needs more experience of real game situations and at Barcelona that was not going to happen. One benefit of leaving the Spanish club is that there are always going to be other clubs interested. Now he has moved to Serie A and Verona where he has come off the bench in three games and looked okay.
This may not be the regular playing time that he and his fans at home would want but he is a good deal closer to the pitch in Italy, still one of the best leagues in the world, than Spain.
It all means that Kubo should consider his options deeply.
The “Japanese Messi”, as he is inevitably called, has already appeared for the Tokyo first team team in a competitive game and when he turns 18 will be in need of regular playing time. If he stays in Japan – a country that may not be able to rival Spain in youth development but is still one of the best in the world – then he is going to get a lot more competitive action over the next two or three years than in Barcelona.
The Nou Camp may represent the pinnacle in world club football but it can be better to start the climb somewhere else. Barcelona’s interest is flattering and exciting but should be treated with caution by any young Asian player, including Kubo.