Leicester City have pulled off a real coup by signing Japanese international Yuki Abe.

That is the view of English journalists working in Japan who expected the 28-year-old international to join a Premier League club.

Abe, who confirmed his switch to the Walkers Stadium on Tuesday, has become City's most high-profile capture since current Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini signed for Peter Taylor back in 2001.

The Japanese-based journalists say Abe is a big star in the J-League and had been the subject of a record £3m transfer deal when he left his hometown club JEF United Chiba for Urawa Reds in 2007.

He earned around £500,000-a-year with Urawa. City will not disclose the fee for Abe, but the Mercury understands it is a nominal one.

Leicester-born James Mulligan, who spent time as a football writer on the Japan Times, said: "I was really surprised when I heard Leicester had signed him.

"I thought he would be off to a Premier League club. He is a good player who would have been ideal for the likes of Stoke and Fulham, but I think it's really good business for Leicester."

Another English journalist, Alan Gibson, who has reported on J-League matches since it started in 1993, said Abe "would be missed" in Japan.

Gibson, originally from the West Midlands, runs the www.jsoccer.com website and said: "Leicester have done very well, particularly if they have paid less than the £3m he cost Urawa."

Gibson said Urawa Reds models themselves on Manchester United. "Their full title is Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club which spells out MUFC – and they play in red.

"Abe is a very popular player and I know whenever they had All-Star games, similar to what happens in America with baseball, he was usually involved.

"When the Reds host big matches at their stadium in Saitama they get around 60,000 fans, but the average gates are around 15-20,000."

Abe had been a late addition to the Japanese starting 11 for their World Cup campaign in South Africa this summer which saw them go out on penalties to Paraguay.

Gibson said: "I know one of the issues over his work permit was that he had not played in 75 per cent of internationals in the past two years, although he has nearly 50 caps.

"He has been on the fringes of the first team for Japan for years, but not necessarily a first-choice player until just before the World Cup when Japan lost three games in a row and the manager switched the whole team around, and Abe cemented his spot."

Abe, who is 29 on Monday, would have been in the squad for this week's internationals, but has been allowed time to acclimatise with his new team-mates.