According to The Atheltic’s James Pearce, senior Liverpool players such as James Milner and Jordan Henderson have been talking up Takumi Minamino.
Here’s what Liverpool reported James Pearce had to say in his recent report on the attacker:
‘The qualities of the 24-year-old had been a hot topic of debate among senior players, including skipper Jordan Henderson and vice-captain James Milner, on the team coach to Salzburg Airport and flight back to England on Tuesday night.
“He’d be ideal for us,” was the message sent in the direction of Klopp, who today signed his own new contract with Liverpool. The manager showcased his poker face by declining to let on that he had long since shared their sentiment and had already acted on it with negotiations advanced.’
Takumi Minamino is currently playing for RB Salzburg in Austria, with the 24-year-old having played 14 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, scoring on five occasions and also assisting his teammates six times. Impressive stats, but you would expect that considering the level of opposition he’s likely to be facing every week; it’s hardly the Premier League over there and RB Salzburg would be expected to dominate every year.
The 24-year-old’s performances in the UEFA Champions League is probably the best way to judge his level, scoring twice in six matches whilst also getting three assists, which is not a huge drop from his league form. This should give any Liverpool fan confidence that they’re not purchasing a hype job, which can easily happen these days, with social media being a huge influence on fans’ opinions on players.
His performances have already gained him national team recognition, with Minamino making 22 outings for Japan and they also will be very happy with his return so far, with the 24-year-old scoring 11 times already; it seems wherever he goes, he scores which should bode well for Klopp’s side in the future.
Verdict
This would be a brilliant signing, as Takumi Minamino is clearly a great goalscorer and creator.
However, it remains to be seen as to whether he becomes a regular starter at Anfield should he join.
Of course, hearing that players were urging Klopp to sign him and liked the look of him speaks volumes, and he should certainly be a guaranteed hit in the changing room.
We think one thing Minamino would be happy with, is getting the chance to compete against Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and even Roberto Firmino, which could let Liverpool fans see the Japanese winger’s true talent and we can’t wait to see him tearing up the Premier League. But that’s if Jurgen Klopp’s side can get this deal done, of course.