Standard Liège sporting director Fergal Harkin has expressed his delight over his decision to sign Hayao Kawabe from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the last window. He made this claim during an interview with Het Belang van Limburg, relayed by Walfoot.
The Japan international arrived in Europe for the first time when Swiss side Grasshoppers took him from Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2021.
Kawabe’s displays for Grasshoppers caught Wolves’ attention and they secured his services in January 2022. However, the Premier League side allowed him to return to the Swiss club on loan until the end of last season.
The 28-year-old has left Wolves permanently without making an appearance for them. Harkin has now revealed that he was advised to sign the player and explains why he’s pleased to have gone ahead with this operation.
“Even when he was playing in Japan, our scouts already had an eye on him. His two good seasons in Switzerland confirmed their suspicions that he had the physical qualities to be a valuable player in the Belgian league. He was recommended to me, I looked at his images and I was quickly convinced,” he said.
Walfoot claim Harkin ‘congratulates himself’ for having signed the midfielder from Wolves for €1.5m. The cheap deal has worked out well so far for the Jupiler Pro League side as Kawabe has managed three goals and two assists from 12 games this season.
“Hayao was exactly the profile we needed. A player who could help us with more goals with his acumen, passing and scoring ability. It’s amazing how many key passes he’s made already this season. The timing and speed of his balls are usually perfect,” Harkin explained.
