Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is confident Takumi Minamino will be able to make a key impact in the Reds’ offence next season thanks to one key change.
Minamino joined Klopp’s Liverpool side in the January window after the Anfield outfit triggered a £7.25million release clause in the Japan international’s Red Bull Salzburg contract, for whom the 25-year-old had scored nine goals and assisted a further 11 strikes for this season.
Klopp is yet to see Minamino contribute to a single goal since moving to Merseyside, with the forward firing blanks in each of his 14 outings across all competitions to date while only playing the one key pass during his ten Premier League appearances.
But the German tactician is far from concerned by what he has seen from the 22-cap international thus far, as Klopp firmly believes Minamino will be a success story once he is given time to learn and imbed himself in the Reds’ free-flowing frontline.
“Taki has the perfect mindset for it,” Klopp said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “He is happy at the moment, I’m sure his ambitions are big and he wants to play more often, but he has needed time.
“Sadio [Mane] had a pre-season and Mo [Salah] had a pre-season – Taki didn’t. He came in and just had to play and that’s why it wasn’t easy.
“The boys are used to everything, to each other and the way we play, especially up front where they have had the last three years together. It takes time and for Taki it takes time.”
Will Minamino's performances improve this season?
Yes
No
Liverpool wrapped up their first Premier League title-winning season with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday, in which Minamino opened the action from the left-wing and contributed two on-target shots and his only key pass of the campaign.
The 25-year-old’s performance was not perfect having failed to beat his marker when the Japan ace attempted his only dribble of the game, though Minamino did complete 93% of his 28 attempted passes which was a higher success rate than his per Premier League game average (87.7%), per WhoScored data.
With 14 club games under his belt and the upcoming pre-season period to come, next season should certainly give a far clearer picture of what Minamino will have to offer Liverpool and whether Klopp’s vigorous support is justified.