Liverpool Fc Agrees To Let Salah Leave As Arne Slot Eyes To Stars

Liverpool is targeting Japanese international Takefusa Kubo this summer but must act quickly to secure his signature. According to Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham and Manchester United are also interested. Tottenham has reportedly made an offer, though it is below Kubo’s release clause of about $63.4m (£50m/€59.3m). This situation gives Liverpool an opportunity to pursue Kubo as a potential long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, whose future is uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract at Anfield.

Kubo’s football journey began in Japan, where Barcelona discovered him at eight years old. He joined their La Masia academy at ten in 2011 and spent four years in Europe. However, due to Barcelona’s violation of FIFA’s international transfer policy on under-18 players, Kubo became ineligible to play for the club and returned to Japan in 2015, signing with FC Tokyo.

Real Madrid signed Kubo on a five-year deal in 2019. After pre-season appearances, he was loaned to Mallorca, where he made his La Liga debut. Subsequent loan spells at Villarreal and Getafe followed before he returned to Mallorca in 2021. The next year, Kubo moved to Real Sociedad permanently, never having made a senior appearance for Real Madrid. Since joining Real Sociedad, Kubo has scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in 65 league appearances. He also has four goals in 35 appearances for Japan, often playing alongside Liverpool’s Wataru Endo.

Nicknamed “the Japanese Messi,” Kubo was once expected to become one of the best players in the world. Despite this pressure, the 23-year-old has thrived. “Being called the Japanese Messi is an honor and makes me proud, but I’m still not at his level and I prefer to concentrate on my abilities and strengths,” Kubo said in 2019.

For those unfamiliar with Kubo’s style of play, FBref lists similar players, including Said Benrahma, Mykhailo Mudryk, Jack Grealish, and Nico Williams. Like Salah, Kubo is a left-footed attacker who primarily operates from the right. Speaking to France Football in 2020, Kubo expressed his aspirations: “My dream has always been to become one of the best players and I won’t stop working to achieve that. I’ve always said that my goal was to play for Real Madrid and I work for that, doing the best job I can even if I don’t know what will happen. I love being able to play football in one of the best leagues in the entire world.”

Liverpool’s interest in Kubo is understandable given his potential and impressive performances. However, with competition from other top clubs and his significant release clause, securing his transfer could be challenging but worthwhile for the Reds.