Following Liverpool’s exhausting penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea last Saturday, Jürgen Klopp rang the changes for his side’s fixture with Southampton. A slip up by the much-changed eleven would have handed Manchester City the title, but the Reds dug deep to seal a 2-1 victory at St. Mary’s.
Takumi Minamino had a starring role on the night, powering in an equaliser at the near post. The Japanese international has been linked with a move away from Anfield at the end of the season, and North West-based football journalist David Lynch revealed this week that Minamino turned down approaches from several sides in the January transfer window.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight Show, we asked goal.com’s Neil Jones for his opinion on Taki, and how close he came to leaving the club earlier this season.
Neil said:
“Leeds and Monaco were the two clubs who were keen on him in the last days of the transfer window. I was speaking to people close to the player, they said he’s thinking Liverpool can win a lot in the rest of the season and he wants to be part of it. I don’t think Liverpool were in a rush to let him go, but I think if the offer was good and there was a suggestion that ‘it’s time’, I think they would have done. Clearly it wasn’t the case. Minamino very, very presciently said ‘I want to be part of, potentially, a bit of history’, and he’s not done bad, has he?! Top scorer in both of the cup competitions for Liverpool, ten goals all comps for the season. A real shining example to some supporters as well who look and think ‘if you’re not amazing, you’re no use to everyone’. They’re gold dust people like Minamino and Origi, who you can just plug in once every two months, or get you through the early rounds of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. He’s done his job this season for Liverpool, and more.”
Redmen Reacts
Takumi Minamino represents yet another brilliant piece of business by Liverpool’s transfer committee. A starring performance at Anfield alongside Erling Haaland in 2019 served as a superb audition for Taki, with the Reds promptly triggering his (by modern standards) tiny release clause of around £7.25 million. Even if Minamino was to never play for Liverpool again, the club would still recoup a decent profit on that initial investment. With Divock Origi set to leave at the end of the season, Jürgen Klopp will still need a quality player to call on as he tries to defend both domestic cups. Taki is certainly good enough to play the odd Premier League fixture if called upon, his goal tally of ten for the season representing an excellent return for someone with limited opportunities. Should he decide he wants to leave the club in the next few transfer windows in search of first team football, he will be fondly remembered by fans, with at least two 2021/22 winner’s medals to cherish.
Redmen Reacts
Even if Liverpool do not manage to win either the Premier League or the Champions League, the club are right to hold a victory parade. The players, coaches and staff deserve to feel the love and respect the fans have for them. Two domestic cups would represent an incredible season for almost any other side in the country. The women’s team deserve to celebrated following their league triumph this season. Their relegation from the WSL was embarrassing for the club and left them open to accusations of not caring about the women’s team when the game is growing exponentially. Reds fans were not able to thank the players for their unbelievable efforts in 2019/20, so a collective outpouring of emotion feels like a necessity at this moment in time, especially given the difficult times we have all been through
