Tottenham makes first move for Liverpool 'target' who could offer Mohamed Salah solution

It is rare for a top club to sign a player without having to battle with other teams to secure their signature. Liverpool is reportedly competing with two fellow members of the Premier League’s big six for a player who has been compared with Mohamed Salah.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo, just as the Reds are. He is under contract until 2029, though he reportedly has a release clause of around $63.4m (£50m/€59.3m).

Kubo has been capped 35 times by Japan, scoring four goals. His joint-most frequent international teammate has been Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endō and he has also made 12 appearances alongside former Red Takumi Minamino. This situation has clear echoes of a transfer tussle Liverpool won two years ago.

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While Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo can play the position, the last out-and-out wide forward signed by the Reds was Luis Díaz. As has been reported with Kubo, Tottenham were in the race to sign the Colombian. Indeed, it was Spurs’ interest which prompted Liverpool to sign Díaz in the January transfer window rather than waiting for the following summer as it had originally planned.

Could we be set for a repeat? New sporting director Richard Hughes may have to move swiftly if that is going to be the case. It has been claimed that Tottenham have already put in an offer for Kubo, albeit one that is below his release clause.

Whether that is true or not, it is hugely unlikely that Sociedad will accept a low-ball offer for a player who is under contract for another five seasons. The La Liga side has no motivation to accept less than they believe Kubo is worth unless his clause is activated.

While Díaz operates on the left, the Japanese international plays on the opposite flank. As he only turned 23 earlier this month, it’s reasonable to wonder if he is viewed as a potential long-term successor to Salah.

If that is the case, Kubo will need to up his output level. Across his two seasons with Sociedad, he has scored 16 league goals and provided eight assists. Those figures are decent enough for a young player but Salah usually delivers more than that in a single campaign.

That’s for the future, though. Kubo could theoretically understudy the Egyptian until such time as his glorious Reds career draws to a close. It will be fascinating to see if Tottenham’s interest forces Liverpool’s hand on a second winger in the space of less than three years.

Liverpool.com says: While it was reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic that Liverpool are in the market for a wide forward, it feels unlikely that it would commit so much of the budget to a player who would not immediately improve the first team. Could it be that the Reds' name is being used to smoke out further interest? Perish the thought.