Liverpool are not impressed with various reports that suggest our upcoming deal to sign Takumi Minamino is to do with our attempts to crack the Asian market.
The Japanese star obviously has a massive following in his home country and we’ll benefit from this commercially, but Chris Bascombe in the Telegraph has explained how this had no bearing in our initial interest in the 24-year-old.
“The deal is solely about the players’ footballing talent, club sources describing it as ‘ludicrous’ their move is motivated in any way by a wish to maximise commercial opportunities in Japan or the Far East,” he writes. “Minamino has earned the move due to his talent and the club is somewhat irritated by the implication Klopp and his recruitment staff would sign anyone for anything but sporting reasons.”
Liverpool will likely exploit the Far East markets as a result of Minamino’s imminent arrival – but rest assured – unless Jurgen Klopp thought he was an elite player, we wouldn’t have so much as made an enquiry.
As it is, the club have just announced the boss’s contract extension until 2024, and hope Minamino grows under the German’s guidance – as nearly all his new signings do.
It’s a truly brilliant time to be a Liverpool fan right now, and we should enjoy every minute.
Tomorrow we host Watford, looking to maintain our lead at the top of the Premier League table, before travelling Qatar in an attempt to win the Club World Cup.