Who is Takefusa Kubo? The 'Japanese Messi' on Liverpool transfer radar

Liverpool is being linked with a move for Japan international Takefusa Kubo this summer, although the Reds may have to move quickly if it wants to sign him.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham and Manchester United are also interested. The former is even claimed to have already made an offer, albeit one that is below his release clause of around $63.4m (£50m/€59.3m).

That would leave the door open for Liverpool should it want to pursue a deal. Kubo has been touted as a potential long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian’s future still looking uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract at Anfield.

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So what do we know about Kubo?

Liverpool.com has taken a look at his career so far, and what Arne Slot could be getting if he makes the move to Anfield.

Starting his football journey in his native country, Kubo was spotted as an eight-year-old by Barcelona. He joined the Catalan club’s La Masia academy at the age of 10 in 2011, and spent four years in Europe.

Unfortunately for Kubo, Barcelona was found to have violated FIFA’s international transfer policy on Under-18 players, making him ineligible to play for the club. He made his return to Japan in 2015, signing for FC Tokyo.

It didn’t take long for another European giant to come calling though, with Barcelona’s great rival Real Madrid signing Kubo on a five-year deal in 2019. Featuring in pre-season for Los Blancos, Kubo was loaned out to Mallorca, where he made his La Liga debut.

Further loan spells followed at Villarreal and Getafe, before a return to Mallorca in 2021. The following year, Kubo joined Real Sociedad on a permanent deal, having not made a senior appearance during his time in Madrid.

Since making the move to the Basque region, Kubo has scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in 65 league appearances. He also has four goals in 35 appearances for Japan, where he regularly plays alongside Liverpool’s Wataru Endo.

Having been tipped to become one of the best players in the world after joining Barcelona, Kubo earned himself the nickname ‘the Japanese Messi’. Despite the pressure such a moniker could put on a player, the 23-year-old has taken it in his stride.

"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 who haven’t seen Kubo in action, FBref provides some insight into what sort of player he is. Listing the 10 players most similar to the Japan international, the likes of Said Benrahma, Mykhailo Mudryk, Jack Grealish and Nico Williams all feature.

Much like Salah, Kubo is a left-footed attacker who operates mostly from the right. He told France Football about his hopes of becoming one of the best back in 2020: "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."