Liverpool Plans To Give Takumi Minamino Break

Liverpool will hold on to Takumi Minamino, a development that should be bad news to multiple teams hoping to snag the Japanese player.

Although the 26-year-old has yet to fully show his skills with the Reds, going through a full preseason could help.

The Reds paid over $10 million to RB Salzburg in January 2020 and ended up handing the Japanese player a nearly $111,000-a-week deal.

But so far, Minamino has yet to prove his worth. He was loaned out to Southampton to get more experience.

Minamino has found the net twice in the 10 matches he was fielded in by Ralph Hasenhüttl. Those two goals came against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Despite that, it remains that Minamino has yet to hit the top form that most are expecting him to show.

Regardless, Hasenhüttl feels that the Japanese is worth having around. There were discussions on a potential new deal.

“He’s a very special player for me not because of his physical strength but more of his way of playing football. He is very quick in his mind, has good decision-making, knows about our pressing style and hopefully a lot of running,” Hasenhüttl said to BT Sport in February.

But it appears these efforts are now irrelevant with Jurgen Klopp planning to keep the Japanese in the mix for next season.

Loan ranger: On-loan Liverpool midfielder Takumi Minamino helped his parent club with the opener against Chelsea Photo: POOL / NEIL HALL

This means that any interest or plans by other clubs are officially scorned. Klopp believes that the Japanese can evolve into one of the important players in Liverpool moving forward.

Also, Minamino getting his chance with the Reds should be raised as well.

With Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri holding an uncertain future at Anfield, the Japanese national could get his chance to finally show Klopp and Reds fans what he is truly capable of.

Once his number is called, it will be up to Minamino to deliver.