Liverpool confirm signing of RB Salzburg star Minamino for £7.25m (photos)

Liverpool Football club of England have confirmed the signing of Japan international Takumi Minamino from Red Bull Salzburg for £7.25m on a four-and-a-half-year contract .

Minamino , an attacker who has been on Liverpool’s radar for a while, successfully passed a medical on Merseyside on Wednesday after Jurgen Klopp’s side triggered his very cheap release clause.

Minamino, on his unveiling said; “It has been a dream, my dream to become a Liverpool player. And I’m so excited that the moment has come true.
“To play in the Premier League was one of my targets. I think this is the top-class league in the world; I was thinking if my career as a footballer progressed smoothly, someday I would be able to play in the Premier League.

Head coach Jurgen Klopp, from far away Qatar where his club is participating in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup said about the Reds’ new No.18:

“This is fabulous news – a wonderful signing. We are really, really happy about this.
“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.
“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.”
“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.