A serious move’ – Real Sociedad president reacts amid Everton transfer ‘interest’ in Takefusa Kubo
The president of Real Sociedad believes that a player linked with Everton will stay at the La Liga club this summer.
The Toffees are in the middle of a pivotal transfer window after nine players of the squad that finished 13th in the Premier League last season departed. Manager David Moyes is bereft of wingers after the exits of loan pair Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom to parent clubs Leeds United and Napoli respectively.Everton have Iliman Ndiaye, who scored 11 goals in his maiden season, and Dwight McNeil as current options. However, both players are more suited to operating on the left flank or in the No.10 position.The right-hand side is where the Blues desperately need to strengthen. One name that they have been linked with is Takefuma Kubo of Sociedad. The Japan international has been on the books of Barcelona and Real Madrid earlier in his career. Kubo has recorded a total of 23 goals and 18 assists in 137 games since joining the San Sebastian outfit in 2022.However, the 24-year-old is one of the prized assets at Sociedad following the sales of Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal. He has four years remaining on his Reale Arena contract – and Sociedad are not looking to sell.
What’s been saidPresident Jokin Aperribay said via Noticias de Gipuzkoa: “I don’t pay much attention to offers or rumours. We’re relaxed, and whatever comes in the market will come. We’re not worried about whether an offer should come in. We don’t look at the market like that. We look at it the way I’ve been explaining, especially this summer, when we have a coach who knows all the players at home from the 1998 generation to the 2007 generation. We have players in every position, and we’d like to see no one else leave.Believe it or not, I miss 90-95% of the conversations that take place with other clubs, but people already know that we don’t want offers for any player. We didn’t want them for Zubimendi and we don’t want them for Take.Precisely because the other clubs know this, they usually come to Real Sociedad at the very end, when they want to make a serious move for one of our players. In any case, we’re relaxed about Take. Hopefully he’ll be here next year. If you ask me what my perception is, I think he’ll stay at Real Sociedad.”Everton have been linked with a number of attackers in the summer transfer window. They have made Charly Alcaraz’s loan move from Flamengo permanent after impressing in the second half of the season, while striker Thierno Barry has been signed for up to £27 million.
James McAtee of Manchester City is someone who the Toffees have on their radar. However, he could cost up to £35 million and is wanted by Bundesliga sides Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund, as well as Nottingham Forest. City winger Jack Grealish is surplus to requirements but reportedly earns £300,000 per week and that could prove problematic.