Liverpool have been linked with Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo and reports in his native Japan suggest just how serious their interest is, with an offer supposedly being prepared as well as details of a lucrative contract proposal emerging.

Kubo has lit up LaLiga with Real Sociedad over the past couple of seasons after joining the club from Real Madrid in 2022. While the move to Madrid may have come too soon in his career, the door doesn’t seem closed by any means to a top-level transfer.

Still only 23 years old, Kubo has a bright career ahead of him and he has been tipped to take the next step as early as this summer. Liverpool are among the many Premier League clubs to have been linked with the Japan international.

Now, according to Sponichi, a Japanese outlet that cites English sources, Liverpool are preparing to bid €65m (£54.8m) for Kubo, which is actually €5m higher than his Real Sociedad release clause.

Not only would that make Kubo the most expensive Japanese player of all time, but he could become the best-paid Japanese player of all time too.