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Erik ten Hag has struggled to progress from his triumphant debut campaign this season, with continuous injuries and underperforming players letting his side down.
Manchester United can only challenge for silverware via the FA Cup and the Premier League, but given their seventh position, the former seems the only route to success this season already.
With that in mind, the former Ajax boss will look to reignite the fans’ excitement by eyeing up a move for a tricky attacker in January.
Man Utd transfers latest – Takefusa Kubo
According to The Sun, Takefusa Kubo is being linked with a move to Old Trafford as a possible Antony replacement.
Ten Hag has reportedly sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old on numerous occasions this season, including last weekend’s game versus Real Betis.
Real Sociedad will accept an offer of £43m and the Brazilian could be used as a bargaining tool, potentially in the form of a loan deal.
How Takefusa Kubo compares to Antony
The Japanese star has developed into one of Sociedad’s best players since arriving at the club for just £5.5m last season, and he seems to have developed into an extremely “special talent” this campaign – as described by journalist Josh Bunting. Kubo has featured 17 times in La Liga, scoring six goals and registering three assists.
The ex-Real Madrid ace can play in the number ten role, yet he excels and mainly operates at right wing, making him a potential direct replacement for United’s £86m forward. The table below highlights Kubo’s playstyle and how he compares to Antony based on statistics from the last year across the top European leagues.
|
Kubo vs Antony Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Kubo |
Antony |
|
Goals |
0.34 |
0.1 |
|
Assists |
0.16 |
0.07 |
|
Key Passes |
1.99 |
1.45 |
|
Successful take-ons |
2.49 |
1.69 |
|
Carries into penalty area |
2.71 |
1.48 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
4.30 |
3.83 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
As you can see by all the attacking stats, Kubo would be a huge upgrade on Antony. The first difference between the two is that the Japanese international is a much more direct winger, using his quick feet and small stature to wriggle his way past players and carry the ball forward with intent.
The former Madrid youngster is extremely intelligent and combines the traditional style of a winger with the more modern output-focused inverted forwards. He’s the type of player to make the crowd get off their feet by dribbling and putting the ball in the back of the net, which the ex-Ajax player has yet to display in a United shirt this season by failing to register a single goal contribution.
Although Kubo doesn’t get massively involved in play compared to other wingers, he is constantly receiving the ball and using it effectively in the final third. He is extremely difficult to mark because if the defender gets close, he will skip past them, but if they stand off, he has the ability to play deft passes that slice the opposition open.
Furthermore, as per Transfermarkt, Kubo (£43m) is valued more than even Alejandro Garnacho (£26m), which just highlights how talented and highly rated the Sociedad creative mastermind is.
Man United having two destined-for-success prospects on each wing would be frightening, to say the least, and if they continue to develop, Ten Hag would have one of the deadliest duos in the Premier League.
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