Japan's 25-Year-Old Talent in Rapid Decline: Endures 17-Game Goal Drought, Market Value Drops by €40 Million

Japanese players are the Asian country with the most overseas players competing in Europe's top five leagues. This season, a total of 32 Japanese players are playing in the top five leagues, spread across 22 teams. South Korea, meanwhile, has only eight players competing in Europe's top five leagues. The gap between South Korea and Japan in this area is significant, and this is the most direct reason why Japanese football has achieved better results. As for Chinese football, if it wants to revive, it needs to cultivate a large number of players like Japan who are competitive in the top five leagues.

Takefusa Kubo, who plays for La Liga side Real Sociedad, is one of Japan's most well-known football stars. His market value reached a peak of €60 million in December 2023, according to Transfermarkt at the time. However, his performances have become increasingly disappointing since then, and his value has continued to decline, first dropping to €50 million, then €40 million, and later €30 million. His latest market value in June this year had fallen to €20 million. From €60 million to the current €20 million, he has lost a total of €40 million in value. For a 25-year-old player, such a rapid decline is significant.

Takefusa Kubo has already gone through a 17-match goal drought at club level. His last goal came on December 20, 2025, when he scored once in Real Sociedad's match against Levante. After that, he entered a lengthy goal drought that has lasted nine months so far. During this period, he dealt with injury problems and missed more than ten matches. Since returning from injury, he has been unable to rediscover his best form and appears to have lost his way.

This season, he has made four league appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists, which has been disappointing. In Real Sociedad's defeat to Real Betis, he had a poor performance, taking one shot with no shots on target and no key passes before being substituted after playing only 58 minutes. In Real Sociedad's defeat to Real Madrid, Kubo played 74 minutes, had 0 shots and one key pass, without producing any standout moments. In Real Sociedad's victory over Espanyol, Kubo was not included in the starting lineup and came on as a substitute for 12 minutes, recording 0 shots, 0 successful dribbles and 0 key passes. In Real Sociedad's draw with Celta Vigo, Kubo had one shot, 0 shots on target and one key pass before being substituted after 61 minutes. Clearly, Kubo's poor performances have gradually caused him to lose the coach's trust. Will he continue to struggle? We will wait and see.