2019/22 Hiroki Abe @ FC Barcelona (ESP)

Discussion in 'Japanese Abroad' started by Samurai Warrior, Jul 7, 2019.

  1. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    923FF239-9A18-4973-95DD-F01C3936B7C9.jpeg (3+2 years) 3 years contract + possible extension for further 2 years.

    The transfer fee is reported to be 1.1 million Euros.

    He will join Barcelona B this season, but he may accompany the top team in their preseason tour in USA.
     
    mushu21_2 and YakYak repped this.
  2. SamuraiBlue2002

    SamuraiBlue2002 Member+

    Dec 20, 2008
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I do not think that he will ever be good enough to play for the Barca first team, but I hope he proves me wrong.

    Good luck to him.

    Going somewhere like FC Groningen would have been a much better move.
     
    Dax and seolseol repped this.
  3. Interiores

    Interiores Member

    East Tokyo United
    Japan
    Jun 3, 2016
    Japan
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    It's shame that he only come to Barca when Barca isn't playing a proper positional play anymore.
     
  4. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I think he has the potentials.
     
  5. SamuraiBlue2002

    SamuraiBlue2002 Member+

    Dec 20, 2008
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    To play for Barca you need to be a top 10 player in your position in the world. I do not see him becoming that good. I think that the only Japanese players who have the potential to reach that level are Kubo and Tomiyasu.

    Right now I think that the best case scenario is that he does well for Barca B and then gets loaned out to a lower La Liga team next season.
     
  6. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Do Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitic, Clement Lenglet, Nelson Semedo, and Ousmane Dembele fit into this criteria?

    Not by any chance.

    Hiroki Abe is a work in progress, and he is a very good-team player, unlike Kubo, and this alone will make him fit into Barcelona style more than Kubo, as Barcelona depend more on team work than individual skills (unlike their rivals Real Madrid).
     
  7. SamuraiBlue2002

    SamuraiBlue2002 Member+

    Dec 20, 2008
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Yes all those players are top 10 players in their position.
     
  8. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    There's quite a gap between Abe and Kubo in skills... I don't think he will make it. I just hope he's resold to some Liga side.
     
    mushu21_2, Keren and Whispered11 repped this.
  9. YakYak

    YakYak Member

    Feb 9, 2009
    For me, it's less about whether he makes in at Barca or not, and more about if he's in an environment that will continue his development to increase his chances of becoming a competent, high-level footballer. I don't know if this is/was the best choice for him, but I'm happy he's having a crack at it. I'd be happy if this experience eventually leads him to being loaned out to another European team and becoming a staple in their line-up. If he actually ends up making it at Barca, fantastic. If he ends up coming back to Japan with nothing to show for, well at least he tried.
     
    Samurai Warrior and Keren repped this.
  10. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    If we exclude individual skills, Abe is surely better as a team player than Kubo.
     
  11. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I can easily name more than 10 players who are better than the mentioned names.

    They are not top 10 players in their respective positions but still they are playing for Barcelona, it is not all about individual skills.
     
    Keren repped this.
  12. SamuraiBlue2002

    SamuraiBlue2002 Member+

    Dec 20, 2008
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    The problem with a club like Barcelona is that as a young player you are not afforded the time to develop. Make one mistake and you may never see the field again. Clubs like Barca are expected to win and compete in all competitions every single year.

    There is no room for player development.

    That’s why lower clubs are better. At a lower club he will be afforded the time to adjust and learn. Look at Doan, he had a subpar season last season and yet he still is able to play regularly for Groningen next season.

    Barca doesn’t afford him his opportunity. If he doesn’t light up for Barca B this season. He will be shipped out at the end of the year.
     
  13. mushu21_2

    mushu21_2 Member

    Manchester United
    Vietnam
    Sep 1, 2018
    Kubo making it in Madrid is already a big "IF", Abe making it in Barcelona is even more unlikely.
    I think these 2 clubs also consider these factors while signing them:
    - The big Japanese market (Rakuten is also a huge sponsor for Barca)
    - If these 2 somehow perform and lead Japan to success in next year's Olympics, their values will obviously skyrocket. Signing them now is a safe investment. They can loan out or resell with high margin profit.

    Well, personally I don't like these 2 signings. Real and Barca are under high pressure to succeed after an underwhelming season, big names will be axed even after 1~2 sub-bar performance, let alone young players. Even the like of Vinicius, Ceballos who are signed in tens millions range are not guaranteed playing time.
    Loaning out to mid-table La Liga team is best option for Abe and Kubo imo.
     
  14. mushu21_2

    mushu21_2 Member

    Manchester United
    Vietnam
    Sep 1, 2018
    Talking about u23 and national teams, obviously now Abe and Kubo are favorite to start in next Olympics. With Barca and Real name on their tags, the Japanese media will smash Moriyasu if they are not guaranteed a decent amount of playing time.
    If it means Doan is not an automatic starter now, I'm more than happy. For all his performance in the last year, I'm starting to feel like anti-Doan-in-national-shirt.
     
    gandychan and Samurai Warrior repped this.
  15. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Well maybe you are underestimate them a bit while he's overestimate them a bit too.
    Anyway a lot of "average" players played for Barca. For example A.Sanchez from Udinese to Barca and then Arsenal and United.
    For Abe tried in Barca and then move to EPL top team will be a dream that he can achieve w/o being a top class player.
     
  16. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    alexis Sanchez was an absolute monster and i can only dream about Abe being remotely any close lol
     
    Samurai Warrior repped this.
  17. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I'm skeptical about Abe joining the first team in the pre season but this is their schedule anyway:
    • Barcelona vs Chelsea (July 23)
    • Vissel Kobe vs Barcelona (27 July)
    • Barcelona vs Arsenal (August 4)
    • Napoli vs Barcelona (August 7)
    • Barcelona vs Napoli (August 10)
    Sure, if they were a bit smart Abe would play at least against Kobe...
     
    YakYak and Samurai Warrior repped this.
  18. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Exactly. Was. And he left Barca at 26 when a player should be at his top while he was not.
    For me he was a straw fire (dunno if it makes sense in English XD), not a Top10 of his role.
    But there were others example of Barca players not on the Top10 like Alba or K.P.Boateng (lol) and others.
     
  19. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    He left Barca after his best season ever, where he scored 19 goals in 34 matches. I'm confused... only reason I said "was" is because of United
     
    Samurai Warrior repped this.
  20. naopon

    naopon Member+

    Jan 2, 2007
    California
    Club:
    Kawasaki Frontale
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Are people actually claiming that Alexis, Alba, Rakitić were not world class at their respective peaks? Lol

    Anyway Kashima has announced the deal. Abe says that Barca sees him potentially as a wingback in the long term, in the mood of Dani Alves.
     
  21. Barren

    Barren Red Card

    Bayern München
    South Korea
    Jul 11, 2019
    Alba Rakitic yes, other 3 no. Tbf Dembele is young.
     
  22. mushu21_2

    mushu21_2 Member

    Manchester United
    Vietnam
    Sep 1, 2018
    what? I don't see him as a wingback at all, a position requires defensive power and tremendous stamina.
    also, using him in more defensive position just wastes all of his flare and pace.
     
  23. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Sounds a nice recipe for disaster, given Abe's non-existing defending skills...
     
  24. SamuraiBlue2002

    SamuraiBlue2002 Member+

    Dec 20, 2008
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I believe that this is part of a move to get Jun Nishikawa next season.

    I hope that this does not happen as I believe that Nishikawa needs at least two seasons in the J-league to prove himself but we will see.
     
    Keren repped this.
  25. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    IMO Alba has never been a Top Class player but a good one in a Top Class Club/NT full of Top Class players.
    The same goes for A.Sanchez but he's surely better than Alba but not so good as many people intended.

    Obviously if Abe who performed meh in Copa America will reach Alba/A.Sanchez level it will be miraculous but the history of Barca, as all the Top Class Club, had some average players in the past and then Abe could have a chance.
     
    Samurai Warrior repped this.

Share This Page