Arsenal are reportedly set to battle Liverpool to sign Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo who has a £52m release clause. 

The Gunners managed to salvage a draw against Man City over the weekend after a late Gabriel Martinelli equaliser. However, the fact that they have dropped points mean they now sit five points behind league leaders Liverpool, who won their opening five games.

Mikel Arteta will hope to get back to winning ways next weekend in the Premier League against Newcastle, but he will also hope that Liverpool slip up sooner rather than later to help close the gap.

One of the things that could stall Liverpool’s progress is Mo Salah, as the Egypt international will be heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations in December. Salah’s contract at Liverpool is set for another two years, but the Reds have begun to look for a replacement for the 33-year-old, and it seems they could battle Arsenal to sign one of their replacement targets.

Arsenal join Liverpool in race for Kubo

Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo has been linked with Liverpool for some time as a future Salah replacement. The 24-year-old is well-regarded in La Liga, and last season, managed to score seven goals, and provide four assists.

Liverpool are reportedly interested, but according to reports in Spain, included in a report by Football Transfers, Arsenal are set to rival the Reds for Kubo, as they are also keen on him.

The Japanese winger has a £52m release clause in his contract, but it has been said that the Gunners would be willing to pay up to £35m to bring him to the Emirates. There is no reported figure on what Liverpool would pay, but we could see somewhat of a bidding war between the two sides.

Do the Gunners need another winger?

The big question that arises here is, do Arsenal need to spend money to sign Kubo, as they already have incredible depth in attack, specifically on the wings.

Arteta already had the likes of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Ethan Nwaneri, but he also signed Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke over the summer.

The only logical time to go after Kubo is if one of the current wingers is sold. The most likely candidate would be Trossard as he is now 30, and his contract is only due to run for one more year come the end of the season, so Kubo could be his replacement.