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Seeing Lionel Messi running rings around defenders while wearing a Liverpool shirt would have been every Reds fan's dream over the past decade. Well, that now might just become reality - he's just called Takefusa Kubo instead.

Known as the "Japanese Messi," the Real Sociedad winger is seemingly on the verge of a move to Anfield following reports of the players' agents arriving on Merseyside for crunch talks this week. Having registered 16 goals and 14 assists in two seasons for his current club, the 23-year-old has certainly caught the eye.

Real Sociedad's Player of the Season two campaigns ago, perhaps it's no wonder Kubo has been likened to the Argentine World Cup winner, given he idolizes him. Earlier in his career, the Japanese international was on the youth books of Barcelona.

Despite never meeting his idol, Kubo drew comparisons to Messi for the way he played. Speaking in an interview in 2019, following his move to Real Madrid, the Japanese claimed he had "always" looked up to the Argentine - and even made his feelings clear on being compared to the little magician.

"I don't know how old he is now, but it's incredible that he continues to score so many goals," said Kubo, as reported by FCBN. "There are still journalists who call me that ("Japanese Messi"). It is an honor to be compared to such a great footballer, but I still have a long way to go to be like him one day," he said.

While Kubo may not quite have reached the same heights as his idol, he has become one of the stars of La Liga in recent years. After leaving Barcelona's youth setup, the youngster continued playing football in his homeland Japan for FC Tokyo, although it wasn't long before Real Madrid came calling in 2019.

Takefusa Kubo in action for Real Sociedad in the Champions League against Benfica (Image: Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Kubo never made a first-team appearance for Los Blancos but enjoyed a number of fruitful loan spells away from the club during his three years in the Spanish capital, appearing for Mallorca across two different spells, along with Villareal and Getafe.

With four seasons of La Liga experience behind him, Kubo has been credited with being a fast, skillful right winger who can become a "football superstar" according to one of Mallorca's former executives, who praised the Japanese for his vision and intelligence on the pitch in a previous interview with the Daily Mail.

Now, if reports are to be believed, Kubo is edging closer to completing a move to Anfield, where he is viewed as Mohamed Salah's successor. If he can channel his inner Messi, and show fans why he earned such an honorable nickname, it's safe to say Liverpool's right wing position could be in good hands.