Kubo's Labyrinth

The situation of Kubo (19 years old) at Villarreal has been getting complicated almost every day since December 13 at Villamarín, when Vicente Iborra suffered a serious knee injury that made him undergo surgery and will have him in the casualty report practically until May. That awakened the need for the Castellón club to strengthen itself in the winter market, for which it needs the departure of Kubo, whose priority continues to be to wear yellow.

The current scenario is very complex for all parties. In summer, with many offers for the Japanese loan, Madrid preferred Villarreal. The good relationship between directives, the economic amount and the insistence of Roig and Emery made the difference; also with the player, convinced by the coach's call: he would be the protagonist and it would be on the right, his natural position and in which he is a specialist, where he stood out in Mallorca and for which he joined the groguet squad. After an agreement was reached by which Villarreal assumed the record of the Japanese and paid 2.5 million plus the possibility of paying another 2.5 in variables, a reinforcement arrived at La Cerámica to try to return to the Champions League. Roig explained in the negotiation, evidencing his great interest in Kubo, that this figure for a loan is not usual, less when the demarcation was covered.

However, the plan has not worked. Starting in the Europa League in a group stage with one goal and three assists in five games, only in one of them did he start from the right. That is the biggest handicap for Kubo, who looked around in his 16 minutes at the Camp Nou or in the 45 against Elche, although he did not take the opportunity against Betis. Since then everything changed … He went from being in eleven to, without Iborra, playing 21 minutes in the Cup. He was expected to start in Pamplona, ​​but he did not play for the first time in the course. Due to the rumors that the club needs to free an extra-community position and salary mass for the replacement of Iborra, the maneuver was understood as a message: in La Cerámica they want me to come out. The suspicion was confirmed on Tuesday, again without minutes, this time in a draw with Athletic.

Kubo attends events with skepticism. His preference is Villarreal: he has not enjoyed the expected opportunities, but he understands that it is part of learning and he is convinced that, with minutes and on the right (Pino is shining on the left), he will end up starting. The relationship between Real Madrid and the player and his staff is very fluid. He has never convinced what happened in Vila-real, but at the same time it has been assumed as hazards of the trade and an experience to finish forging the person and the footballer. The problem now worsens: if he leaves, Kubo does not want it to be abroad and in Spain few clubs, highly conditioned by the financial control of LaLiga, can allow their incorporation. Others, like Granada, have covered the quota of non-EU citizens. Perhaps the most solvent route is that of Getafe, but the Japanese still opts for Villarreal …