Takumi Minamino was tipped for big things at Liverpool when he joined the club in January 2020, but he struggled to adapt at Anfield despite Jurgen Klopp's best efforts to help him settle
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Jurgen Klopp talks with Takumi Minamino
Jurgen Klopp tried to help Takumi Minamino settle in at Liverpool
(Image: Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp's dressing room change to help the struggling Takumi Minamino fell flat as the forward failed to settle in at Liverpool. The Japan international arrived from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020 with high hopes after the Reds activated his £7.25million release clause.
Klopp had been full of praise for Minamino, calling him "classy" and "the best talent". There was even a belief that he would become a key player and potentially step into Roberto Firmino's shoes in the long run as the club's centre forward.
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To aid Minamino's transition and help him assimilate quicker, Klopp seated him between German-speaking team-mates Sadio Mane and Naby Keita in the dressing room. The idea was that Minamino, who was still learning English, would be able to communicate with former Salzburg stars Mane and Keita in German, helping him settle in at the club.
"You know that you are part of the team, but because my English is not good enough yet their help has been really important," Minamino told Liverpool's official website. "They are still helping me on some occasions and during the first days they taught me the team rules, things like what time the meetings started and how the team functions on a daily basis."
Despite the warm welcome and strategic plan, Minamino's debut season proved challenging, managing only to make five starts. Nonetheless, he remained optimistic, acknowledging that he needed to "appeal to my team-mates" and "win their trust".
But he still found himself on the sidelines for the most part during the 2020/21 season, resulting in a loan to Southampton in January 2021 with the aim of helping him adapt to the Premier League. During his six-month loan deal on the south coast, he initially thrived by making nine starts, but soon found himself in and out of the side.
Takumi Minamino
Minamino was frustrated by a lack of game time despite winning silverware
After his return to Anfield, Minamino featured mostly in domestic cup competitions, playing a pivotal role in Liverpool's journey to both the League Cup and FA Cup finals, though he didn't participate in either of the final triumphs. Despite netting 10 goals in those cup runs, he was left frustrated by the lack of opportunities.
Speaking in an interview with Sanspo, Minamino claimed he "felt motivated by regret and anger". "Many of the games I played weren't of interest to anyone," Minamino said. "Even if I left the results, there wasn't much response. I was trying to inspire myself to prove my worth. I was doing personal training other than team training. I was thinking that I would leave something behind when I went to the match mentally.
"I felt motivated by regret and anger every day. I've never had this much time as a player. It was difficult to maintain the condition and connect with my feelings. But it was a season that seemed to have grown. It was disappointing but fulfilling. At the same time, it makes sense to play an important game and leave a result, so it is said that I got out and got a result, but I do not think it was a big deal. I want to do my best to be a player who can produce results in important games."
Minamino is now back to his best this season, having benefitted from a full pre-season, a new manager and a positional switch
Minamino is now a regular for Monaco
Unsurprisingly, Minamino was sold to Monaco that same month, still in search of the playing opportunities he required. Yet, his debut season in France proved a challenging one, with just a single goal to his name. The former Liverpool prospect was even dubbed Ligue 1's worst summer signing for the 2022/23 campaign by Quotidien Du Sport, who described him as "too frail physically and struggling in the intensity of the duels".
By the 2023/24 season, Minamino finally looked to have found his feet at Monaco. Under new head coach Adi Hutter, who he previously worked with at Salzburg, Minamino began to play more centrally and shone with nine goals and six assists across 30 Ligue 1 matches.
This season, the 30-year-old has six goals and five assists across all competitions, making 33 appearances for Monaco who are currently sitting fourth in the league. He'll be keeping an eye on his former clubs Liverpool and Southampton as they go head-to-head at Anfield this Saturday, before he takes to the pitch for his own match against Angers.