The possibility of Paris Saint-Germain signing Takefusa Kubo this summer has gathered pace all of a sudden.

The 17 year-old’s contract with FC Tokyo officially ended on 1 June, and he was expected to return to Barcelona once he reaches 18 on 4 June. But now it seems that PSG stands a stronger chance of landing the Japanese prospect.

Kubo joined Barcelona’s La Masia when he was 10. However, he was forced to return to Japan in 2015 after the club was found to have violated FIFA’s international transfer policy for under-18 players. Upon returning home, he joined FC Tokyo and in this season, developed into a key offensive player and helped the J1 club’s rise to the top of the league.

According to FC Tokyo officials, the negotiations with Barcelona over Kubo’s move has been difficult, and that PSG have now jumped into the picture. The French club has rated Kubo highly and had sought to sign him in the past with around 1 billion yen (approx. 8.27 million euros) in transfer fee, and now it seems their interest in Kubo has rekindled.

While Kubo has a strong attachment with Barcelona, he is said to be also considering PSG’s better salary offer of 100 million yen a year (approx. 826,580 euros).

For Japanese football news: CoolJapan Soccer

Source: Yahoo

Images: gettyimages