Liverpool
Premier League • England
Liverpool prepare astonishing €65m offer for ‘biggest’ target, with Salah succession plan to break two records
Liverpool are preparing an offensive for Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo
Liverpool have been linked with Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo and reports in his native Japan suggest just how serious their interest is, with an offer supposedly being prepared as well as details of a lucrative contract proposal emerging.
Kubo has lit up LaLiga with Real Sociedad over the past couple of seasons after joining the club from Real Madrid in 2022. While the move to Madrid may have come too soon in his career, the door doesn’t seem closed by any means to a top-level transfer.
Still only 23 years old, Kubo has a bright career ahead of him and he has been tipped to take the next step as early as this summer. Liverpool are among the many Premier League clubs to have been linked with the Japan international.
Now, according to Sponichi, a Japanese outlet that cites English sources, Liverpool are preparing to bid €65m (£54.8m) for Kubo, which is actually €5m higher than his Real Sociedad release clause.
Not only would that make Kubo the most expensive Japanese player of all time, but he could become the best-paid Japanese player of all time too.
READ MORE: Liverpool demand €55m for fundamental star after Saudi talks as PIF prepare new strategy
Indeed, the report claims Liverpool have drafted up a contract with an annual salary of €15m (equating to around £240,000 per week) for Kubo. The only Liverpool player currently on more than that is Salah himself.
If true, it’s a sign of just how serious Liverpool could be about signing Kubo. The report asserts he is one of their ‘biggest’ targets this summer.
Kubo tipped to replace Salah
One of the main reasons Liverpool could be so keen on Kubo is the uncertainty relating to the future of Mohamed Salah. The Egypt international has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield after the Reds resisted interest in him from Al-Ittihad last summer.
The Saudi Pro League still sees Salah as a suitable recruit, but Liverpool are hoping he continues into an eighth season in their colours.
Indeed, reports this weekend have already claimed that Liverpool have decided they won’t be selling Salah, as things stand.
Nevertheless, they will have to start forward planning for when the inevitable time comes for Salah to depart, even if that is next year rather than this year.
Given his form over the past couple of years and his margin to improve even further, Kubo could be a suitable candidate to step into Salah’s role, especially as another left-footed right-winger.
One thing he would need to improve is his goal output, having only scored seven times last season, whereas Salah’s statistics sometimes seem superhuman.
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