Barcelona signs Hiroki Abe from Kashima Antlers

Hiroki Abe is to join Barcelona from Kashima Antlers and is expected to spend next season with the B team in Catalonia.

Hiroki Abe won the AFC Champions League last year and has appeared in all three of Japan's group games at the Copa America.

Rising Japan star Hiroki Abe has agreed to join Barcelona, J1 League side Kashima Antlers has confirmed.

The 20-year-old is due to undergo a medical and sign a contract after the two clubs reached an agreement over a transfer. The deal will reportedly cost Barca a fee in the region of €2 million.

"It was a difficult decision to leave the team this season," Abe, who was named Rookie of the Year in Japan's top flight in 2018, told Kashima's website.

"I felt strongly that I wanted to try new challenges at Barcelona, and I decided to move. I believe the various difficulties and obstacles I will face from now on are essential for my growth."

Abe is expected to link up with Barca B but reports in Spain suggest he could join Ernesto Valverde's first-team squad for its pre-season tour of Japan.

A winner of the AFC Champions League last year, Abe appeared in all three of Japan's group games at the Copa America, where it drew with Uruguay and Ecuador after losing 4-0 to Chile.