Takumi Minamino became a Liverpool player on 1 January after the Reds activated his release clause, and whilst his Liverpool career is still yet to get going, fans should remain patient with his development.
With the 2019/20 season soon to restart, Liverpool will be Premier League champions very shortly, needing just six points to finally confirm their first Premier League title.
As this season draws to a close, many have begun planning for next season, with potential transfers being reported.
Timo Werner has been a Liverpool target for a while now, however, Liverpool fans were shocked to see their club pull out of the £50million release clause due to cash-flow issues following the outbreak of Covid-19. This has allowed Chelsea become front-runners for the German striker.
Why Liverpool swooped
Though this news is disappointing to hear, it shows that Jurgen Klopp trusts the players he has in his arsenal. Minamino could be given a more important role in the squad, and become a suitable filler to any of Liverpool’s elusive front-three.
Liverpool have not seen much of the Japanese player yet, but Klopp will be expecting to see the form that the showed at his former club, RB Salzburg.
Before his January move, Minamino had five goals and six assists in 14 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga.
After all, it was his impressive performance against the Reds at Anfield where he scored and assisted that proved a good indication of the quality of Minamino.
In October, Miniamino’s half-volley goal and delicate assist for Erling Haaland showed Klopp the skill he possesses.
A steady start at Anfield
Minamino has only made seven appearances for Liverpool, with three starts in the FA Cup.
Whilst he has so far struggled to find his place at Liverpool, Minamino was beginning to show improvement during his spells in the FA Cup.
During these matches, Minamino was mostly used in the central role, trying to take on Roberto Firmino’s role. This is a very difficult and important role to play in the squad and inevitably will take time to learn.
Much like Werner, Minamino could be a versatile player for Liverpool.
When playing for Salzburg, he would tend to play on the left wing but can also play on the right, drifting between the two wings during games.
With it looking like Liverpool will no longer be able to strengthen in the transfer market, Minamino’s versatility could prove useful as he looks to break into the first-team.
Liverpool have nine remaining Premier League games and with the Premier League nearly wrapped up, Minamino could see himself playing a couple of games.
Klopp will welcome the end of the season and look towards pre-season for next season to continue Minamino’s development under him.