‘Kubo’s annual salary is higher than Son Heung-min’, turns out it’s a Japanese thrill?
Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) is set to become the highest paid player in Asia if he joins Liverpool, according to reports in Japan.
“It is unlikely that Liverpool will make Takefusa Kubo one of the club’s highest paid players, and the proposed transfer fee will certainly be lower,” This Is Anfield, a leading Liverpool news outlet, reported on Feb. 22 (KST).
Recently, Japanese soccer star Kubo has been linked to Liverpool, a world-renowned club beyond the Premier League, causing excitement among Japanese soccer fans.
“Kubo, who plays for Real Sociedad in Spain’s La Liga, is said to have a high chance of joining Liverpool, a prestigious English club,” said Japanese media outlet SporNichi. ‘According to multiple sources, negotiations have already entered the final stages, and Kubo is keen to challenge the Premier League, the world’s top league,’ the outlet reported.
“According to multiple English football sources, Kubo’s representatives have already arrived in the country and negotiations are believed to be in the final stages of ironing out the details, with an agreement expected to be reached shortly.”
Kubo joined Barcelona’s youth team in 2011 at the age of 10 and trained with the club until 2015. He is known for his close friendship with Lee Kang-In (PSG), who came through the Valencia academy at the same time.
However, when FIFA decided that Barcelona had violated the rules against transferring players under 18 to foreign clubs, the club banned the youngsters from training and playing in matches, and Kubo chose to return to Japan and join FC Tokyo, where he made his J-League debut.
His success in the J-League earned him a move to Barcelona’s arch-rival Real. In 2019, Real’s second team, Castilla, snapped him up, and he was back in Spain.
It wasn’t easy to survive at Real. At the time, the club had a number of global superstars like Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard, as well as talented Brazilian youngsters like Hodrigo and Vinicius Junior, so there were fewer opportunities for Gubo.
As Gouveau struggled to break into the first team, he decided to go out on loan to get some playing time. He spent time on loan at Villarreal, Mallorca, Getafe, and Getafe, and during his second spell at Mallorca, he even played alongside current PSG player Lee Kang-in.
In the summer of 2022, Gubo left Real for Sociedad, where he reached his full potential. In his debut season, he was a key ace in the team, scoring nine 메이저사이트 goals and providing four assists in 35 league appearances. His performance was recognized by the fans and he was named the Sociedad Player of the Year.
In his second year, in 2023-24, he played 41 games, scoring seven goals and adding five assists. Despite his lack of offensive points, Sociedad recognized his skill and potential and re-signed him in February, extending his contract through June 2027 to 2029.
Kubo signed a new contract with Sociedad less than six months ago, but the possibility of him leaving the club this summer has been raised as he has attracted interest from Liverpool.
“Liverpool are expected to sign a right winger this summer, with reports in Japan suggesting a deal for Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo could be on the cards,” the local outlet explained.
“It is claimed that talks over a deal worth €60 million are already in the final stages, with Kubo’s agent reportedly already in England for negotiations.”
“This is not the first time Kubo has been linked with a move to Liverpool,” he continued, ”and while Sponich’s claims are not completely outrageous, they are far-fetched.”
What they point out is the contract. “The outlet claimed that Kubo could sign a €15 million-a-year deal with Liverpool,” they said, ”which would translate to around £240,000 a week, so their report seems unlikely.”
“This does not mean that the interest in Kubo is not genuine, it just means that Liverpool are unlikely to make him one of the highest paid players in the squad, and the proposed fee will almost certainly be lower.”
According to sports economics website Capology, Liverpool’s highest-paid player is currently Egyptian soccer star Mohamed Salah, who earns £350,000 a week. In second place is Liverpool captain and world-class center back Virgil Pandey, who earns £220,000 a week.
If Japanese media reports are to be believed, the Reds have promised Kubo the No. 2 spot on Liverpool’s salary list. For now, Kubo is reportedly earning around €48,000 (approximately $73 million) at Sociedad, so it’s unlikely that Liverpool would promise him a huge pay rise.
Kubo’s alleged €15 million ($22.7 million) salary would also exceed that of the current top Asian player, Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur). Son’s annual salary is reportedly £9.88 million ($17.7 billion). Kubo, who hasn’t reached that level yet, is unlikely to become the highest paid Asian player of all time.
“Under Liverpool’s new recruitment system, Kubo could be predicted to be a good fit for the Reds,” the outlet said, adding, ”It’s a story worth watching, but it seems unlikely that a deal will actually happen, at least as far as Japan is concerned.”
betturkey