East Asia Japan

Japan’s Very Own Minamino to Sign for Liverpool

Krishna Sadhana

Football Tribe SEA Editor

 

Current English Premier League leaders Liverpool have announced that they will sign Japan international Takumi Minamino from reigning Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg. The speedy winger’s signing will go through on January 1st, 2020, once the winter transfer window opens.

24-year old Minamino is believed to have a release clause worth £7.25m and the former Cerezo Osaka player has put pen into paper on a 4.5 year deal that will last until the summer of 2024. Once Minamino had finalized personal terms with Liverpool and passed his medical, he was unveiled to the press on Wednesday, with Liverpool’s first ever Japanese player being handed the number 18 shirt.

“It has been a dream, my dream to become a Liverpool player,” a delighted Minamino said, “I think this is the top-class league in the world. I was thinking if my career as a footballer progressed smoothly, someday I would be able to play in the Premier League. But I never thought I would be able to play in this team and I’m really happy about it. I’m looking forward to it.”

With Red Bull Salzburg this season, Minamino has made 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring 9 times and creating 11 assists. Two of those 9 goals were made at Anfield, as Salzburg and Liverpool played out a 4-3 Champions League thriller in October, with Jürgen Klopp’s men emerging out victorious from that match. Minamino was also featured in the reverse fixture at the Red Bull Arena earlier in December, where once again Salzburg were beaten by Liverpool, this time with a more straightforward 2-0 scoreline. While normally this would mean that Minamino would be cup-tied and will be unable to play for Liverpool in the Champions League knockout stages, a recent change in the rules by UEFA last year would enable Minamino to represent Liverpool in the knockout stages, where the Reds will face a tough challenge in the form of Atletico Madrid in February 2020.

Speaking to the press during his unveiling, Minamino said that going up against Liverpool as a Salzburg player gave him a good impression about the high levels of intensity and technique that the Liverpool squad has, something that made him felt that Liverpool were worthy of their Champions League title last season. Minamino also conveyed his delight on joining the Reds, stating that he will help Liverpool defend their Champions League title and win this season’s Premier League trophy with his good contributions.

Liverpool manager Klopp has spoken very highly about Minamino, saying that the Liverpool fans has gotten a taste of what’s to come during the Reds’ clashes against Salzburg this season.

“Takumi is a very quick, very clever player who finds space between the lines. He’s brave with or without the ball, a proper team player he is. His Champions League experience is a big bonus for us as well,” Klopp said.

Minamino will become the fourth player that Liverpool has signed during the 2019-20 season, with the Japan international being Liverpool’s first winter signing. Previously Liverpool had gotten three players during the summer transfer window – goalkeepers Adrian and Andy Lonergan both joining Klopp’s men on a free, while young defender Sepp van den Berg was signed from PEC Zwolle. Minamino will also join a select list of Japanese players who have represented their country in the Premier League, a list that includes the likes of Shinji Okazaki, Shinji Kagawa, Yoshinori Muto, Maya Yoshida, Hidetoshi Nakata, and Junichi Inamoto.