Despite the fact that Takefusa Kubo recently inked a new deal at Real Sociedad, Liverpool has received an unexpected boost in their pursuit of the Japanese forward.
The 22-year-old signed a new contract last week that extends until 2029, but Liverpool is still keen to sign him this summer.
Additionally, it is said that Kubo’s new deal still has an active €60 million release clause, which the Reds have been notified of. Consequently, he continues to be a realistic goal for 2024.
The Saudi Pro League is still after Mohamed Salah, a forward for Liverpool who is inclined to sign a new contract at Anfield. The Saudi Pro League is eager to keep stealing some of the top players in the world from the European game.
Their main goal is Salah, but they also have Heung-min Son, a forward for Tottenham Hotspur, on their radar. It is understood by FootballTransfers that Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City will not be relocating to Saudi Arabia, despite reports of interest from the Middle East.
While Liverpool is hoping Salah would remain longer, they have started preparing for his possible departure, and Kubo is at the top of their list of possible successors.
Johan Bakayoko of PSV and Pedro Neto of Wolves are also being considered as potential Salah replacements.
Defensa Central, a Spanish publication, reports (via TEAMtalk) that Real Madrid would not obstruct Liverpool’s pursuit of Kubo. In addition to earning €30 million if any club activates his €60 million release clause, Los Blancos have a 50% sell-on fee.
Or, if they’d want, they can sign him again for a mere €30 million. But Real Madrid is very unlikely to bring Kubo back to the team given the possible arrival of Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, which opens the door for Liverpool to sign him.
Is Takefusa Kubo the ideal Mohamed Salah substitute for Liverpool?
Even if Kubo lacks Salah’s natural ability to score goals, Liverpool may need to rearrange their assault if the Egyptian departs.
Although the Japanese international is more of a dribbler than a goal scorer, his skills could work well alongside Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota to repeat Salah’s accomplishments.
After recovering from an injury last year, Luis Diaz hasn’t been the same, so switching up their attack to include an inside goal-scorer on the left (Jota) and a dribbling playmaker on the right (Kubo) should be ideal.
Although a Jota-Nunez-Kubo front three would not replicate Liverpool’s current lineup with Salah, it would be incredibly entertaining and might help the Reds adjust to life without Klopp and Salah.