Tottenham plans a €45 million bid, with Takefusa Kubo potentially becoming the new Asian transfer record holder.

By Han Bing After losing out on Savinho to Manchester City and Eze to Arsenal, Tottenham is in urgent need of midfield reinforcements before the summer transfer window shuts. Spain's Fichajes reports that Tottenham is targeting Japanese midfielder Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad, who can play on either wing and has gained the confidence of Tottenham’s new manager Frank. However, Paris Saint-Germain, which has only brought in Ukrainian defender Zabarnyi this summer, is also keen to compete. Kubo renewed his contract last season, which includes a €60 million release clause, but Real Sociedad, unwilling to lose their midfield core now, has set a higher asking price of €70 million.

After losing Son Heung-min, Frank has approved the club's efforts to pursue Takefusa Kubo’s transfer. He believes Kubo can succeed in the Premier League just like Son, with his dribbling skills, speed, and ability to change the game in tight spaces being exactly what Tottenham needs.

Kubo is fluent in English, Spanish, and French, making his integration into Tottenham almost seamless. Additionally, after Tottenham’s recent tour of Asia, the club recognizes the huge commercial potential of Asian players. Although the team already has young Korean winger Lee Min-gyeok, he is unlikely to fill the commercial gap left by Son’s departure in the short term. In contrast, 24-year-old Kubo can open up a much larger market in Japan.

Similarly, PSG’s interest in Kubo stems from their coach Enrique’s familiarity with the Japanese midfielder from Spain. During PSG’s Asian tour this summer, they also saw the vast potential of the Japanese market. Following rumors of Korean player Lee Kang-in possibly leaving, the club aims to sign a Japanese player to strengthen their presence in Asia. Atletico Madrid has also been linked with Kubo, but they have already signed Raspadori.

Real Sociedad is very cautious about Kubo’s future. Firstly, the club does not want to lose a key player before the summer window closes and lacks time to find a replacement. Secondly, Real Madrid owns 50% of Kubo’s rights, so even if the €60 million release clause is triggered, Sociedad would only receive €30 million. The club hopes to sell him for more than the release clause, but Kubo’s market value is only around €30 million, making a high premium difficult to achieve. After all, Tottenham, who showed interest last summer, initially offered only €45 million.

Kubo’s departure is quite possible. In the first round of the new La Liga season against Valencia, he scored a goal and was substituted in the 80th minute. Recently, Real Sociedad’s president Aperbai hinted at an imminent player departure during a press conference, leading media and fans to speculate it might be Kubo. Previously, Kubo publicly called for reinforcements to increase competition, but coach Francisco ignored this, causing some tension between them.

It is worth noting that while Kubo’s future remains uncertain, his younger brother, Kubo Akashi, who played in Real Sociedad’s youth ranks, has returned to Japan to join Osaka Sakura. The 17-year-old Akashi just graduated high school, and his departure might affect Takefusa Kubo’s future decisions.

If Kubo’s transfer succeeds this summer, even Tottenham’s initial €45 million offer would make him the new Asian transfer record holder. Previously, the highest transfer fee for an Asian player was for South Korean defender Kim Min-jae, who joined Bayern Munich in summer 2023 for €40 million plus €10 million in add-ons. However, after two seasons, only €2 million of the add-ons were activated, and Bayern is eager to sell him this summer. Similarly, Uzbek defender Husainov, who joined Manchester City for €40 million plus €8 million earlier this year, is struggling to establish himself. The previous record for a Japanese player was held by Shoji Nakajima, who transferred from Portugal’s Portimonense to Qatar’s Al-Duhail in early 2019 for €35 million.

Takefusa Kubo is eager to prove himself in the Premier League, and although there have been transfer rumors in recent summers, none materialized. However, Tottenham’s urgent need to strengthen this time makes a deal quite possible.