The Saudi Arabian splurge on footballers in Europe looks as if it will continue to spill on throughout the summer, and with such large offers on the table, relatively few players are guaranteed their future. According to Diario AS, Al Hilal’s latest target is Takefusa Kubo.
The Japanese starlet had a breakout season after moving to Real Sociedad last summer, contributing directly to 18 goals, and providing a creative spark to a La Real side that secured Champions League qualification.
Seemingly Al Hilal were not only willing to pay his €60m release clause, but had offered Kubo a €160m contract for four years of his services. At the age of 22, that would take him towards his prime years.
However Kubo has seemingly turned down the offer. He is not prioritising money currently, and is keen for his first taste of Champions League football next season.
It also deprives Real Madrid of significant income – given they had a 50% sell-on clause, it would have been worth €24m to Los Blancos (€30m minus the initial fee paid).
Kubo has given several interviews over the last 12 months stating that he felt like Real Sociedad was his last shot at the top level of football. Having earned that credit back, and kickstarted his career, it is understandable he is not keen to relinquish that stability after his first real year as an important player in a top league.
