Arne Slot wants to lure former Real Madrid starlet to Liverpool

With less than a month before the Premier League season starts, the Reds have yet to make significant moves in the transfer market. However, Liverpool reportedly has a couple of options on the table and is linked to former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Takefusa Kubo.

According to the Japanese news outlet Sports Nippon, Liverpool is in talks with the 'Japanese Messi' to secure his services for a fee estimated to be around £50 million (€60m/$64m).

The Japanese winger currently plays for Real Sociedad, which finished 6th in La Liga, and recently signed a five-year extension with the Basque club. However, he has a €60 million release clause that could tempt Arne Slot, the new Liverpool coach.

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Born in Kawasaki, Japan, the young midfielder went on to form himself as a professional footballer at La Masia, FC Barcelona's renowned youth academy. At just 11 years old, he scored 74 goals in 30 games, according to Revelo.

Revelo further reports that FC Barcelona failed to follow FIFA transfer guidelines for players under 18, forcing the young Japanese midfielder to make an untimely return to Japan. At 15 years old, he joined FC Tokyo in 2017.

He flourished and matured as a player in Japan, playing for both Yokohama Marinos and F.C. Tokyo (2018-2019), before securing a move to Real Madrid in 2019.

Kubo joined Real Madrid Castilla at the age of 18, to further develop his skills alongside some of the best youth prospects in the world. He even joined the main squad on their pre-season tour in Canada, becoming the first Japanese player to ever play for Real Madrid!

Nevertheless, his foreigner status forced Real Madrid to loan the player to other mid-high-tier teams in La Liga in order to comply with roster and squad regulations. The young Japanese midfielder spent two seasons at Mallorca, Villarreal, Getafe, and finally Real Sociedad.

Kubo, now 23, has been a key figure for Real Sociedad under the leadership of Imanol Alguacil. According to Transfermarkt, the Japanese midfielder scored seven goals last season.

Naturally, Liverpool is interested in Kubo who exceeds class and touch with the ball. He would be a great addition to the 'Reds' midfield this coming season. Real Madrid awaits on the sidelines, however, the Spanish club could bag around £30 million (€35m/$38m) if Liverpool chooses to activate the release clause.

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