Liverpool stepping up interest in £55m La Liga player after trailing him for years

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Liverpool could have a new forward on their shopping list during 2025.

The Reds sole new addition of 2024 was an attacker, of course, with Federico Chiesa the only player to arrive at the club this year.

However, given that Mohamed Salah could leave Liverpool at the end of the season, Arne Slot and the Reds recruitment team may feel another option is needed.

If that is to be a direct replacement for Salah, then Liverpool may do well to target a left-footer.

Reports have claimed that talks will be held with Geovany Quenda, Sporting’s 17-year-old wonderkid, but fans may prefer to see a more established player brought in.

With that in mind, journalist Graeme Bailey says that Liverpool are also keeping a close watch over Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo.

Liverpool send scouts to watch Takefusa Kubo

Kubo is not a new name for Liverpool fans. The 23-year-old was heavily linked during the summer transfer window just gone.

Reports that largely originated in his homeland of Japan claimed that Liverpool almost signed Kubo and were more than willing to pay his £55m release clause.

In the end that never happened. But speaking to Rousing The Kop, Bailey says that Liverpool scouts flew out to watch Kubo and Real Sociedad face Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday. The Japan international registered a goal and an assist.

“That game allowed them to watch Martin Zubimendi and Jorell Hato as well as Kubo,” says the transfer insider. “Obviously Kubo had a very good game against Hato and he’s having a very good season.

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“Liverpool’s interest goes back nearly a decade now,” adds Bailey. “He’s been having all the biggest clubs in Europe looking at him since his teens. He’s really getting his chance now and doing really well.

“He’s the sort of player Liverpool will be looking at and I think he’s one who’s on the list and who they’ve been keeping tabs on for an awful long time.”

Is Liverpool’s relationship with Real Sociedad an issue?

Plainly, Kubo is not the only Real Sociedad player Liverpool have been courting recently. As Bailey alludes to, it appears that Zubimendi is still on the Reds’ radar, too.

After a concerted effort to bring the midfielder to Anfield last summer was foiled by La Real’s insistence that he stayed, some may worry that tensions between the two clubs could lead to problems when pursuing other deals.

But according to Bailey, this is a non-issue. Zubimendi has disputed Liverpool’s version of events from the summer, but the journalist says there is no problem in the relationship between the Reds and Real Sociedad.

“The relationship with Real Sociedad is not an issue,” he says. “They’re all big boys, they know how it works.

“If Liverpool were going to go for a Kubo or Zubimendi they’d be under no obligation to talk to Sociedad, but Liverpool are a class act off the pitch and they would do that.”