Relegation threatened J. League first-division side Cerezo Osaka have acquired 33-year-old former Germany international Cacau on a full transfer pending a physical, the club said Monday.

Cacau, who holds dual German and Brazilian citizenship, has played 23 times for Germany. He has been with German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart since 2003.

"I feel so happy to be able to play in the J. League, where so many Brazilian players have come before me," he said in a statement released by Cerezo. "It's an honor to play for a team with the tradition of Cerezo Osaka."

The club is currently 15th in the 18-team J1, with the bottom three teams to be relegated at the end of the season.