Liverpool and Monaco have agreed on a deal worth £15.5 million for the services of Japanese attacker Takumi Minamino. This deal shall see Liverpool net an initial £12.9 million, along with a further £2.6 million of potential add-ons up for grabs.

Minamino joined Liverpool from Red Bull Salzburg in the January window of 2020, after impressing Jurgen Klopp during the 2020 Champions League group stages when the Austrian team gave Klopp plenty to think; Minamino had been a thorn for Liverpool’s defence in both the games, and as soon as the January window opened Klopp came calling for his signature. The Japanese played 55 times for the Reds netting 14 goals in this time. 

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While first-team opportunities have been hard to come by for the 27-year-old due to the prolific nature of Liverpool’s first-choice forward line, he has still made his presence felt in style whenever called upon. 

In Liverpool’s quadruple chasing season of 2021-22, it was his contributions that brought Liverpool the twin domestic cup successes that they had to make do with in the end after painfully falling just short in their league and European campaigns. In fact, Minamino was the top scorer in both the Capital One Cup as well as the FA Cup- even scoring a special late equaliser against Leicester City in the Capital One Cup. 

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Only this week, Minamino expressed his dissatisfaction over his bit-part role at the club, speaking of his desire to be playing in games that truly mattered- it was thus clear that his time at Anfield was coming to an end as he sought regular first-team football. 

The versatile forward has now joined Monaco and shall ply his trade in League 1 of France affording him more playing time as he enters the prime years of his already trophy-laden career. 

Minamino will leave Liverpool having given the Anfield faithful plenty to smile about, in spite of his fringe status in the squad, and shall no doubt be remembered fondly.