It seems a long time ago now, but Arsenal were once in the running to sign Takefusa Kubo, according to a report.
Well, it is quite a long time ago, because ESPN reported way back in May of 2015 that Kubo – then aged just 13 – was on the Gunners’ radar.
The Japanese sensation was at Barcelona at the time and later joined FC Tokyo en route to joining Real Madrid, where he is now.
And his next club is an interesting one because apparently one former Arsenal manager had a big role in signing him.
According to AS, Villarreal are set to snap up the 19-year-old on a season-long loan and the Spanish club are, of course, managed by Unai Emery these days.
AS have also claimed that Emery – who was sacked by Arsenal last November – was ‘instrumental’ in convincing him to join the El Madrigal outfit.
This is of little relevance to the North Londoners now, given that their original interest stems back to five years ago.
But this is a player who’s been labelled the Japanese Lionel Messi and it’ll be fascinating to see if Emery can aid his development.
It’s worth noting that the former PSG and Sevilla coach is the one who gave Gabriel Martinelli and Mateo Guendouzi their debuts for the Premier League club, illustrating his trust in young talents.
And both emerged as some of Europe’s most exciting prospects under Emery and time will tell whether he can have a similar impact on young Kubo.
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