Striker Yuya Kubo will join FC Cincinnati via transfer from Belgian first-division side Gent, the Major League Soccer team announced Thursday.
The 26-year-old Kubo, a former international with 13 caps and two goals for Japan, is a veteran of 10 professional seasons in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Japan.
"This will be a great experience for me as I am looking for a new exciting chapter in my professional career," Kubo was quoted as saying in the team's release about his move to the top U.S. league.
The Yamaguchi Prefecture native made his debut in 2011 for the J. League's second-division Kyoto Sanga before moving to Swiss top-tier outfit BSC Young Boys in 2013. He joined the Belgian squad in 2017 and spent the 2018-19 season on loan to the German first-division side Nurnberg.
In his pro career, Kubo has made 303 total appearances, chalking up 86 goals and 23 assists.
FC Cincinnati joined MLS as an expansion team in 2019, finishing last in the 12-team Eastern Conference in its inaugural season. The club begins its 2020 regular season on March 1 with a match on the road against the New York Red Bulls.
