Aston Villa favourites to sign £26m La Liga ace, Roberto Olabe knows him well
Unai Emery will want to strengthen his squad in January so that Aston Villa can continue to compete in all competitions.
After Villa’s triumph over Tottenham, Emery’s side are now five games unbeaten in the Premier League.
It was a rocky start to the season for the Villans, with fans blaming their lacklustre summer window for the results. But Villa’s draw with Everton in September seems to have been the turning point.
Now 11th in the league and continuing to climb, Villa are still on the hunt for reinforcements.
Aston Villa ‘best placed’ to sign Takefusa Kubo
Villa are now “best placed” to sign winger Takefusa Kubo, whose market value is around £26million, from La Liga Real Sociedad
That is according to Spanish outlet Fichajes on 20 October, as they report Villa could move for Kubo in 2026.
The Villans’ new president of football operations, Roberto Olabe, played a key role in Kubo’s transfer to the Spanish side back in 2022.
However, it is now understood that he is not convinced by the ambitions of his current club.
- Kubo is contracted at Sociedad until 30 June 2029
- He has netted 24 goals and has provided 18 assists in 145 matches for the Spanish team
As a result, he is questioning his future at Sociedad and feels that his best years will be lost in their stagnant project.
The Premier League tempts him, and Emery’s side, who are looking for a dynamic and experienced player to strengthen their project, are leading the race for his signature.
Indeed, Sociedad have been informally informed of Kubo’s desire to leave with the Villans closely monitoring the Japanese international’s movements in an operation which could be unlocked during the winter window.
This could come as a blow for Jadon Sancho, who has struggled at Villa since arriving on loan over the summer.
How has Takefusa Kubo performed this season?
Kubo is known as an energetic winger who is partial to a little bit of flair, but have his stats mirrored the eye test this season?
The versatile attacker has netted one goal from 0.87 expected goals in La Liga this season, according to Sofascore. This is a slight overperformance, which bodes well for Villa.
Despite being more known for his creativity, Kubo has yet to assist in the league this period. However, he is not to blame for this figure.
Indeed, he has registered 1.10 expected assists this season, created one big chance and has made 1.4 key passes per game in the league.
While his creative stats could be better, it seems a lack of clinical finishing from his teammates is also at play here.
He has also completed 41 per cent of his dribbles and has won 53 per cent of his duels.
As it stands, his stats are quite average and, in all honesty, a far cry from his best.
However, this is to be expected for a player reportedly looking for a new challenge, which means he could return to his best if Villa sign him.
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