What insiders at Liverpool and Real Sociedad did when asked about Takefusa Kubo joining Reds

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Liverpool fans were getting excited on Monday after reports in Japan linked them with a move for Takefusa Kubo.

Reds supporters have had little reason to celebrate so far this summer, with their side one of only two Premier League clubs yet to make a permanent, senior signing.

With Arne Slot brand new through the door at Anfield, it is perhaps not a great surprise that no business has yet been done at Liverpool.

However, there are a couple of areas of the first-team squad that could do with some slight adjustment.

One of those on the right wing, where the Reds need a start planning for a Mohamed Salah-less future. Claims that Liverpool were on the verge of sealing a deal for Kubo looked like just the ticket.

Liverpool insiders react to Takefusa Kubo rumours

Reports that Liverpool are ready to pay Kubo’s £55m release clause started to surface on Saturday. As we know, things tend to move quickly once the Reds ramp up their efforts.

The Japan international would look like an archetypal FSG signing in many ways.

Young but experienced, relatively well priced with a release clause and capable of going up several more levels, Kubo would tick a lot of boxes for the Liverpool owners.

However, bad news did not take too long to follow. Reports from Spain have suggested that Kubo is not close to joining Liverpool.

READ MORE: Liverpool confident they can sign £65m England international this summer

Of course, there is still a relatively decent amount of time left in the window. Just because a move for the 23-year-old is not imminent, it does not mean that it isn’t happening at all.

With this in mind, The Athletic put it to ‘senior sources’ at both Anfield and Kubo’s current club Real Sociedad.

Unfortunately for Liverpool fans, it’s claimed that insiders from both clubs have ‘dismissed’ the suggestions that the Japan international is imminently on his way to Merseyside.

Kubo is instead said to have flown back to his homeland with Sociedad as they play Gamba Osaka in a pre-season friendly on Thursday.

Is it the end for Takefusa Kubo and Liverpool?

This has been the theme of the summer for Liverpool supporters so far. Links to players have tended to be swiftly denied.

It does rather beg the question of who are the Reds targets this summer and are they actually going to do any business at all?

In our opinion, a denial for Kubo at this stage does not necessarily mean that there is no interest full stop.

The wording here is that Liverpool sources ‘dismissed suggestions’ that the Reds are set to pay the forward’s release clause. However, there is no denial that Kubo is an active target for the Reds.

This may or may not be significant. But while it seems that Kubo is not close to joining Liverpool right now, we’d suggest that the interest may not be completely dead.