Take Kubo is celebrating. The Japanese arrived in Donostia on July 19, 2022, exactly two years ago, and now faces his third season at Real Sociedad. A season that, following the line of the previous ones, represents a new challenge for the player, because he will have on the horizon to improve the performance shown in 23/24, where he has been less. Being the owner and master of the right wing of Imanolthe balance of these first two campaigns as Txuri Urdin continues to be positive, something that can be seen in the numbers: the number of goals generated has improved and his market value has increased.
His coming to La Real was not easy; After his time at Real Madrid, Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe, he doesn’t seem like a player destined to make a difference in a La Liga team. However, the sports management of Real Sociedad, including Robert Olabe on the head, seen in hut an interesting profile to reinforce the squad. A staff that, at the time, had Ander Barrenetxea and For your at the extreme (Adnan Januzaj has recently left the club). Mikel Oyarzabal and Martin Merquelanz They are recovering from their respective injuries and Ander Martin, Julen Lobete either Robert Navarro They completed the first team call.
A 22/23 with a pass to the Champions League
His first season in Donostia was a pleasant surprise for fans who, in general, were not very optimistic about the Japanese inclusion. He played 44 games between Liga, Copa del Rey and Europa League, less than three thousand minutes. He also did not take long to adapt to the very clear style of Imanolthat from the first day he saw her hut a very interesting weapon that will be able to hurt rivals.
His numbers are close to double digits, as he scores nine goals and distributes nine assists from the right side. Accompanied by Sorloth and David Silva almost always, he also knows how to adapt to the diamond used by Imanol in certain sections of the season, forming an unstoppable forward duo with the Norwegian.
From more to less in 23/24
His second campaign at the Reale Arena was more controversial. It started like a shot, with outstanding performances such as against Granada at home or the 3-0 derby victory against Athletic Club, but its presence at the Asia Cup in January ended up reducing its performance in 2024. In fact, what was And at first seemed like a small blip, it continued until the end of the course, where he sat on the bench because of the good work of Sheraldo Becker.
Both began training with the group on Monday after a few extra days off due to international matches in June, and they have been called upon to be key pieces in the puzzle of Imanol. The other is now incomplete due to the absence of other internationals and because reinforcements have not yet arrived at the front. It should be noted that La Real intervened so that hut is not one of the players named by the under-23 team that will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at least, will remain in the tournament until July 30, in addition to the previous concentration, something that Real I. is not ready to accept in the circumstances .
Going home
La Real will visit the country again soon due to its sponsorship agreement with the Yasuda Group. They will play a friendly against Gamba Osaka on July 25, a team currently playing in the J1 League, the Japanese first division. An appointment that forced the royalists to cancel the match they had planned to play against Toulouse on July 27 at Zubieta.
This is the second visit after traveling to Japan in May, after the League. On May 29, they played a friendly against Tokyo Verdy in which Real won 0–2 with goals from Urko and Zakharyan. This time there is no presentation of t-shirts, but the great attraction of realists is again Take Kubo, because his followers, who are not few, continue to consider him as one of the great references and representatives of the Japanese school in European football. And also that time he only played a part because of discomfort.
Revalued and renewed
hut He arrived at Real Sociedad with a market value close to 10 million euros, according to the Transfermarkt platform. Within two years, that amount had risen to 50 million, placing it in the first step of the squad with Zubimendi. This figure reached its highest point in December 2023 (60), although it fell due to poor performances in the latter part of the season. However, his continued growth allowed him to enter the best rankings, such as the most expensive right wingers in the world (12th) or the most valuable players in the League (15th).
With a contract valid until 2029, which was extended in February of the same year, hut He has stated on more than one occasion that La Real is his home and that he is very happy to renew because this is where he sees himself growing the most. Real Madrid, for its part, continues to retain 50% of the capital gain from a future and hypothetical sale. La Real paid 6.5 million at the time and the termination clause was 60 million. This means that the whites can take the Japanese player, as much as he wants, by 33 ‘kilo’. And if he goes to another club for the value of the clause, Real will earn the same 33 million, since 27 will go to Madrid.
The Japanese is a highly valued player in Europe and Real’s presence in the Champions League, possibly reaching the best version of the season, has been a great showcase. However, in a summer where the market’s own names are being made Le Normand and MerinoExpected hut take the reins of a team that missed him for several months last season. With an extensive preseason and some friendlies ahead, hut He is one of the names to follow at the start of the course, pending what may happen to other key parts of the team, who will rejoin the group once their respective holidays are over.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
