A place for Kubo

As the 2021-22 season progresses, the Real Madrid of 2022-23 is taking shape in the heads of the leaders of the Madrid club: Mbappé in attackone more year for Modric, a reinforcement in defense if it is at an adequate cost (Rüdiger is preferred), something for the midfield (Kessié has options)… and Kubo’s first opportunity as a full-fledged player for the white team. The Japanese, who arrived at Madrid in the summer of 2019, wants to be part of the squad next year, and Madrid welcomes that possibility.

Since he arrived at the club, at just 18 years old, Kubo has already accumulated three years of loans to gain experience at the first level. He spent a productive first year in Mallorca, in which he accumulated almost 2,500 minutes and scored four goals. The 2020-21 season, however, was a setback for him: he went to Villarreal convinced by an Emery who then, at the moment of truth, hardly gave him any chances, preferring the home players.

Hence whatThat in January he went to Getafe, where he was able to play a little more under Bordalás. And last summer he decided to repeat with Mallorca, where he had already felt comfortable; an injury prevented him from being regular in the first part of the season, but he is already gaining momentum and has two goals and three assists this season. With something of his own, Mallorca prevailed at Atlético’s home, for example.

Kubo knows well that playing minutes at Real Madrid would be much more expensive, with the presence of Vinicius and Benzema in attack, who will most likely be joined by Mbappé; but he also knows that the right flank, the band in which he plays to trace those dribbling diagonals that characterize him so muchis the attacking position most open to competition, that this course has had Asensio, Rodrygo, Hazard, Lucas, Bale… But that is not the first problem; As of today, Kubo could not be registered by Real Madrid.

Take, as he is called in his close circle, was born in the Japanese city of Kawasaki and has been a resident of Spain for two and a half years. Japan does not fall within the countries with shorter periods to naturalize, so Kubo will only be able to obtain nationality if he spends ten years in Spain uninterruptedly.to; if he does not move from the League, he will be able to start the procedures when he has already passed, a priori, half of his professional career. Therefore, Madrid already knows that Kubo will occupy one of the three places for non-EU players, and that’s where the problem comes from.

Because the three places are currently occupied by three Brazilians: Vinicius, Rodrygo and Militao. The first arrived in Madrid in 2018, the other two in 2019. And for Brazilians, coming from an Ibero-American country, the nationality application can be made after having lived in Spain for two years. The three already have the process open, but the pandemic crossed Madrid’s path and is delaying everything.

Vinicius affects Kubo… and Reinier

Rodrygo and Militao are not worried, since they started the process a year after Vinicius and, therefore, in Madrid they know that it will take longer to receive Spanish nationality. But in the case of Vinicius, the idea was that this season he was already a community player. However, the pandemic generated some delays in the bureaucratic procedures inherent to the process and in Madrid they are still waiting for news. They trust the club that the situation will be resolved before the start of next year, but there is uncertainty and it affects the planning for 2022-23.

This uncertainty also affects Kubo, whose wish is to be able to debut in white in an official match at last. For this, he needs Vinicius to receive Spanish nationality or for any of the three affected to leave. In the cases of Vinicius and Militao, it is not even contemplated; in Rodrygo’s there would be another option, but in Madrid they are happy with the Brazilianwho has not been able to establish himself as a starter and whose goalscoring figures are somewhat discreet, but who assumes a role as a freshman well and whose defensive work delights Ancelotti.

The Brazilian Reinier, who ends his loan with Dortmund next summer, is in the same situation, but in his case it is not contemplated that he stay in the template. He has to play, something that he hasn’t been able to do on a regular basis in Germany in the last two years; he will look for a new assignment, giving priority to what the coach likes so that he has opportunities.

When Kubo returns to Madrid this summer, the situation will be addressed in the hope that he already has a place in the squad, both legally and sportingly, as well as his renewal: The Japanese contract ends in 2024 and at the moment there have been no talks to extend it. Madrid is focused on the signings of the coming year and on the most urgent renewals, such as Modric, Asensio or Militao.