Klopp: Minamino is ‘crazy’ talent

JURGEN KLOPP is adamant Takumi Minamino will immediately enhance Liverpool’s quest to become champions and cannot wait to unleash the Japan international in the Premier League. Liverpool expect to have a quiet month in terms of transfer deals in January, but they start the window with a bang having concluded a £7.25million negotiation for Minamino that began in the middle of December. The versatile forward, who can operate from the left or the right, is ineligible for tonight’s Anfield clash with Sheffield United but there is every indication he will figure in the FA Cup third round when Liverpool host their neighbours Everton on Sunday. Injuries to key players have left Klopp’s squad stretched in recent weeks, making Minamino’s arrival timely. Minamino had been on Liverpool’s scouting radar for two years and his performances for Red Bull Salzburg against Klopp’s side in the Champions League convinced the German that he had to sign the 24-year-old, who was also wanted by Manchester United. Liverpool’s manager gave Minamino a pep talk when he met his new team-mates for the first time on Tuesday. ‘We had a little talk,’ Klopp said. ‘I told him that we really signed

Takumi Minamino from Salzburg, the guy who played against us like crazy, who was self-confident like crazy. ‘I said just be that, and everything else is fine. Then we will see how we will fit him in. In this period of the season especially, there will not be like 15 weeks until we use him, that’s how it is. ‘Is it then the finished article in March? I don’t know. We start learning about each other from now on and that’s exactly what we want to do. ‘He will have all the time he needs. But how much time he needs, I have no idea.’ Klopp added: ‘This time we are not allowed to select him. From the next moment on, we are thinking about bringing him into the squad. We can really work on that and we want to use his natural skills. ‘We want him to be as natural as possible.’