Real Madrid youngster Takefusa Kubo joined Villarreal on loan this summer to a great deal of fanfare, but things have not progressed ideally.
So far this season, Real Madrid loanee Takefusa Kubo has made 11 appearances off the bench for Villarreal with just two starts in La Liga. He has been pushed to improve and refine the smaller details of his game by Unai Emery, whose team is in contention for a Champions League spot next season.
It is a tough situation for Kubo, who needs playing time first and foremost. A club, like Borussia Dortmund with Achraf Hakimi, willing to give him the room to make mistakes would also be ideal.
According to a report from Javier Mata of AS, Emery has left the door open for Kubo to leave Villarreal and join another club on loan this winter. There have been rumblings for weeks about Kubo and Real being concerned with the lack of minutes in La Liga, but the club is unsure of what to do logistically. They have offers from interested clubs, of course, but terminating a loan is difficult. That difficulty may be removed if Emery allows Kubo to spread his wings elsewhere.
Per Mata, Kubo “is closer to a possible exit” next month as a result of recent events, including Villarreal’s desire to relieve his salary so they can bring in help at a position of greater need to the club. Again, Kubo is not a regular starter for the Yellow Submarine in La Liga, though he was brilliant in the Europa League with four goal contributions.
A new loan could be what’s best for Kubo. Yes, it would be nice for him to fight for his place at a club like Villarreal, but it might be better for him to stack up minutes at a smaller club and gain confidence beforehand, much like Martin Odegaard did in the Netherlands before bursting onto the scene at Sociedad last season.