Vancouver Whitecaps acquire playmaking midfielder Kenji Cabrera from Peruvian club

Kenji Cabrera of Peru's Melgar, top, and Victor Velazquez of Paraguay's Cerro Porteno battle for the ball during a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Nueva Olla stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jorge Saenz

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps have added a new playmaking midfielder to their roster, acquiring Kenji Cabrera from a Peruvian club.

The club announced the news Tuesday morning, less than a week after the ‘Caps officially transferred midfielder Pedro Vite to LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM.

Cabrera, 22, has signed a contract through 2028 with a club option for 2029, and will officially join the roster pending receipt of his international transfer certificate, visa, work permit and medical.

Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster says the team has started the immigration process and hopes to have him join the club by mid-August.

The five-foot-seven, 160-pound athlete previously played in the Peruvian Liga 1 with FBC Melgar, where he tallied 16 goals and 17 assists across 122 appearances for the club, including nine goals and four assists over 26 games this year.

Cabrera, who can play as a winger as well as a midfielder, was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Peruvian father, and has represented Peru at the youth level, making 14 appearances for the country’s U-20 team.

“Kenji is a player with the ability to impact the game offensively in central and wide areas,” Schuster said in a statement.

“In the last year, we’ve seen him develop into a key part of Melgar and we believe he’s ready to take the next step in his career. … He still has room to grow but we are looking forward to helping him reach his potential as he begins this new chapter.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.