Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp couldn’t hide his enthusiasm when giving his view on The Reds’ new signing Takumi Minamino, who will join the club on January 1st.
Minamino will join Liverpool from RB Salzburg in the new year after successfully passing a medical on Merseyside yesterday.
Klopp and the first-team are currently in Qatar where they beat Mexican club Monterrey 2-1 in the Club World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Now they face Brazilian side Flamengo in the final on Saturday evening. However, Klopp took time out to speak to Liverpoolfc.com about Minamino’s pending arrival and how he feels the Japan international is “brave” with and without the ball.
On Minamino’s talents and the capture of his signature, Klopp said:
“This is fabulous news – a wonderful signing. We are really, really happy about this.
“Our supporters have had the chance to see him close up recently so I don’t need to sing too loudly about his qualities as they are already known.
“Takumi is a very quick, very clever player, he finds space between the lines. He is brave with the ball but also brave without the ball – a proper team player. He makes the best of himself for the benefit of others.
“His Champions League experience is a big bonus and coming from the club and organisation he does, we know he’ll be well coached, used to an elite environment and had all the right experiences.”
Klopp was also keen to highlight the stellar work carried out behind the scenes once again by the brilliant Michael Edwards. He also further enhanced Liverpool’s working relationship with RB Salzburg, stressing how the Austrian club is a “benchmark modern European club”.
“It is fantastic work by our football operations team in how they’ve handled this transfer. Michael Edwards and the team deserve a lot of credit.
“It’s not hard to see why Salzburg is a favoured destination for players with real talent and hunger. From our experiences dealing with, and facing, Salzburg on and off the pitch in recent months, their reputation as a benchmark modern European club will only grow.
“I’m sure all the Liverpool supporters will go out of their way to make Takumi feel at home in our amazing city and club.
“I am also pretty sure as of now we have added to our numbers of the LFC family in Japan specifically. For those who follow us now because we have one of the country’s most exciting talents, I say welcome – it’s a special club to be part of.”
Minamino is sure to play a part in the second half of Liverpool’s season. He could even be tasked with some early appearances for The Reds in January as Klopp and his backroom team look for the best way to spread the workload among the squad after an extremely busy Winter schedule.
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