Real Madrid: Takefusa Kubo can have a season like Martin Ødegaard

Real Madrid attacking midfielder Takefusa Kubo is headed to Villarreal, where he can play a starring role for an exciting team.

So many teams lined up to sign Takefusa Kubo on loan from Real Madrid for the 2020-2021 season, including a few Champions League clubs in Sevilla, Ajax, and Bayern Munich. But in the end, Kubo will almost certainly be headed to Villarreal, as Madridistas are simply waiting for official confirmation of the move.

Kubo’s loan signing is a huge deal for Villarreal, who pushed hard to acquire the player. They may also still purchase Óscar Rodriguez from Real Madrid, too. But for now, Kubo is a marquee addition to the club, who weren’t far behind Sevilla and qualified for the Europa League.

It was new manager Unai Emery, formerly of Sevilla and Arsenal, who pushed the hardest to sign Kubo. He ultimately convinced the player and the team that he’d give the 19-year-old a big role in the attack, centering the team around him.

Villarreal have a lot of exciting attacking talent. Paco Alcácer is a lethal finisher and was a record-breaking scorer, in terms of efficiency, at Borussia Dortmund before moving back to La Liga. Gerard Moreno was one of the league’s top scorers in 2019-2020 with 18 goals. And ask any Madridista how good Samuel Chukwueze is.

Takefusa Kubo can be a star for Real Madrid one day

Kubo himself is a star, having shown he was a class above the rest at Mallorca in 2019-2020 with his dribbling skills. A confident player who loves to express himself on the pitch, Kubo is a scoring threat and can evolve as a playmaker at a team with more weapons.

As a central star for Emery, Kubo can have a 2020-2021 season much like Martin Ødegaard’s 2019-2020 campaign with Real Sociedad. At La Real, Ødegaard flourished like never before as a playmaker, as he had the likes of Mikel Oyarzabal and Portu to pass the ball to. Ødegaard was La Liga’s best playmaker behind Lionel Messi, and Real Madrid fans are excited for the day he shows his qualities at the Santiago Bernabéu.

It’s a great situation for Kubo. He’ll have strong attacking talent around him, with a mix of veteran presence and young players. Like Ødegaard with Mikel Merino, Kubo will have another major midfield presence alongside him in André-Frank Zambo Anguissa. And in Emery, Kubo has a manager who is high on him and will make sure he flourishes. Emery has a lot of flaws, yes, but he is always great about giving young players opportunities.

All the ingredients are there for Kubo to have a breakout season approaching what Ødegaard did at La Real last season. Kubo is younger and has more room to grow, but he’s such an exciting player that he will surely make his mark on a dangerous Villarreal side.