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Liverpool tell £17m Takumi Minamino he can leave Anfield amid Leeds United transfer development
Liverpool have told Takumi Minamino he’s free to leave Anfield this summer amid interest from Leeds United, according to The Athletic.
The news outlet reported on 8 June that Minamino, 27, “can leave in the coming days” if an offer matching Liverpool’s £17million valuation of the Japan international is submitted.
It is understood that Leeds – as well as Southampton, Wolves and Monaco – are all keen to sign the former Red Bull Salzburg forward, whose agent has been “given permission to hold talks with suitors about a potential move”.
Hotting up
Leeds already have two deals completed with Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen both swapping Red Bull Salzburg for the Yorkshire giants in the last couple of weeks.
And now, it seems as though another player who made a name for himself at Salzburg could also be on his way to Leeds.
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We’re not overly keen on this approach towards signing players who’ve been on the books at Salzburg because the managerial appointment of Jesse Marsch was also made after he had spells in Austria and at RB Leipzig.
However, at least it looks as though they’re signing good players who’ll bring down the average age of the squad and also fill in areas of the team that need bolstering.
Minamino is a versatile forward who should be a decent addition.
He can play up front, on either wing or down the middle in an attacking midfield role.
In the 2021/22 season, the Japan international was key in Liverpool’s victorious FA Cup and Carabao Cup campaigns, ending up as the Merseyside club’s top goalscorer in the domestic cup competitions.
In total, he scored 10 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions for the Reds.
Minamino has understandably struggled to get into the team at Anfield due to the top-class attacking options Jurgen Klopp has. But that hasn’t stopped the German from waxing lyrical about Minamino, hailing him as “incredible” in May ahead of a game against Tottenham [Liverpool YouTube].
Marsch must feel the same way, as should Victor Orta.
But Leeds need to be a bit more creative than simply signing players who’ve been previously managed by Marsch.
In other Leeds United news, a player has jet into the UK from Dubai after making a transfer decision on the Whites.