Everton are interested in signing Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad
Takefusa Kubo in action for Real Sociedad.(Image: Getty Images)
Takefusa Kubo has admitted that he’s aware of speculation around his Real Sociedad future amid interest from Everton. The ECHO understands that the Blues are interested in signing the Japan international as David Moyes looks to reshape his squad this summer.
Kubo scored seven times and claimed four assists in 52 games in all competitions for Sociedad last season. He also spent time with both Barcelona and Real Madrid before joining the San Sebastian outfit – who finished in 11th in La Liga last season – in 2022.
Addressing the speculation linking him with a move away from the Reale Arena, Kubo admitted to Notias de Gipuzkoa: “I think you asked Remi (Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro) the same question, didn’t you? Remi has put me in the same bag, didn’t he?
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“That Take and I, that we were going to stay here. At the moment I’m here and the truth is that I’ve also seen rumours, but for the moment I haven’t heard anything.
“In the end, I’ve always said that if you have to move from one club to another, it has to be through the front door, but that doesn’t mean that as a player, at least when I came here, I was surrounded by David Silva, Mikel Merino, Zubimendi, Brais [Mendez]… all these people who didn’t have that weight, right?
“They took on the weight, there was Alexander Isak who left, but in the end, people say it’s a cycle, but I think that a club that, according to the president [Jokin Aperribay], always told me that it is aspiring to win the league every year.
“I think that to win the league, you need a little something extra, like you say. I wasn’t going to lie about that either. I haven’t spoken to those higher-ups yet, but I think they’ll be working on it, right? I hope so.”
Kubo also admitted that he recently changed agents and clarified why he opted against returning to the Basque Country ahead of his side’s pre-season tour to Japan.
“Yes, I have changed agents, I’m not going to lie, but I’m here,” he said. “And for those who were a little worried, well, I’ve stayed in Japan, because in the end I think I was planning to return on the 14th, but to stay until the 20th and return to Japan, it was a bit difficult for me, wasn’t it?
“Because of the jet lag, that’s why I stayed and not for anything else.”
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Speaking earlier this week, Sociedad President Jokin Aperribay claimed his club are not looking to sell Kibo this summer, who still has four years remaining on his contract.
“I don’t pay much attention to offers or rumours,” he told Noticias de Gipuzkoa. “We’re relaxed, and whatever comes in the market will come. We’re not worried about whether an offer should come in. We don’t look at the market like that.
“We look at it the way I’ve been explaining, especially this summer, when we have a coach who knows all the players at home from the 1998 generation to the 2007 generation. We have players in every position, and we’d like to see no one else leave.
“Believe it or not, I miss 90-95 per cent of the conversations that take place with other clubs, but people already know that we don’t want offers for any player. We didn’t want them for Zubimendi – and we don’t want them for Take.
“Precisely because the other clubs know this, they usually come to Real Sociedad at the very end, when they want to make a serious move for one of our players.
“In any case, we’re relaxed about Take. Hopefully he’ll be here next year. If you ask me what my perception is, I think he’ll stay at Real Sociedad.”