Monaco manager Philippe Clement confirms £15.5million signing of Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino before both clubs officially announce the deal… with the Frenchman revealing the Japanese star was ‘very high on our list’
- Monaco manager Philippe Clement has confirmed signing of Takumi Minamino
- Both clubs are yet to announce the deal but Clement said it was done on Saturday
- Minamino has fallen far down the pecking order in the forward line at Liverpool
Monaco manager Philippe Clement has confirmed the club’s signing of Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino.
Last week Sportsmail revealed that the clubs had agreed a deal for the Japan international, which consists of an initial £12.9m fee plus a further £2.6m in add-ons.
The clubs had yet to formally announce the transfer, but Clement did the work for both of them when speaking on the sidelines of Monaco’s friendly against Cercle Bruges on Saturday.
Monaco manager Philippe Clement has confirmed the signing of Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino
‘I’m very happy, I’ve known him for a long time,’ Clement told RMC Sport.
‘He was very high on our list. Everyone here is convinced that he has the qualities to bring something to the team.
‘He already has experience and has done a lot of good things at Salzburg, in a style close to ours, just like at Liverpool where there is a lot of competition. That’s why this is an opportunity.’
Minamino has struggled to get first-team football at Liverpool since arriving in January 2020
Minamino joined Liverpool for £7.25m in January 2020 from RB Salzburg but has failed to establish himself as a first-team player in a highly competitive front line.
The 27-year-old found himself falling ever further down the pecking order as Liverpool signed Diogo Jota, then Luis Diaz and now Darwin Nunez since Minamino’s arrival, although Sadio Mane has since joined Bayern Munich.
In the two-and-a-half years Minamino has been at Liverpool he has made just 53 appearances in all competitions, including just 11 Premier League games in 2021/22, scoring three goals.
Minamino playing for Japan. The forward is seeking regular football ahead of the World Cup
The writing appeared to be on the wall for him on Merseyside when he spent half a season on loan at Southampton in the 2020/21 campaign, making 10 appearances before returning to Anfield.
With Japan competing at the World Cup in November, Minamino has been seeking a new home to get regular first-team football ahead of the tournament.
The winger scored 14 goals in 55 appearances during his Reds career.
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