Takefusa Kubo joins RCD Mallorca on loan

Real Madrid midfielder Takefusa Kubo has been loaned out to fellow La Liga side RCD Mallorca for the entirety of the 21/22 season. 

The player returns to Mallorca after spending 2019 with them. He made his La Liga debut playing for Mallorca, and established himself as one of the main players in their midfield during his time at the club. However, Luis Garcia Plaza is the current manager of the club, rather than Vicente Moreno, who was in charge during Kubo’s previous spell at Mallorca. 

But despite the managerial and squad changes, Kubo is expected to be a key figure in the lineup. Earning minutes will be key for the youngster, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Carlo Ancelotti and would not make it into the team sheet ahead of Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Isco and Martin Odegaard. 

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Real Sociedad were also interested in bringing the player over. They previously had fellow Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard on loan, and the Norwegian had a very impressive spell with them. However, Kubo preferred a loan deal back to Mallorca instead of a move to Sociedad. 

Kubo featured for the Japan Olympics team that participated in Tokyo 2020. The player scored three goals and provided one assist in their six games in the tournament. At 20, he has a long way to go but has shown great potential for being an asset in the future so far.