Initially signed as a cover for the Liverpool FC frontline in January 2020, Takumi Minamino looks set to be drafted as a central midfielder player by Jurgen Klopp for the Merseyside Reds, according to reports from the Mirror.
During Wednesday night’s Champions League fixture away at FC Midtjylland, a game that finished 1-1, the Japan international Minamino was slotted into the midfield three alongside debutant Leighton Clarkson and Naby Keita, with the ex-RB Salzburg attacker playing his second game in an otherwise unusual position for him.
When quizzed upon Minamino’s showing in the aftermath of the match, Klopp was quick to point out that it was only a second such midfield display by the Japanese forward, indicating that the player could be given an extended run of first-team involvement in the centre of the park.
“Two different halves, completely different. I liked the football we played in the first half, especially with the so-much-changed team we had tonight.
“The way we played, the way the boys adapted, not to forget that Takumi Minamino played now only the second time in that position – once in Brighton, which was a different game, and tonight it looked already much better.
Following Diogo Jota’s move to Anfield this summer and the subsequent brilliant run of form showcased by the 23-year-old, game-time has dried up for Minamino in the attacking roles for Liverpool FC, which suggests that a run of play in the midfield spots looks even more likely for the January recruit.
