Minamino can make a real impact, says Klopp

JURGEN KLOPP is adamant Takumi Minamino will immediately enhance Liverpool’s quest to become champions and cannot wait to unleash the Japanese star in the Premier League. Liverpool expect to have a quiet month in terms of transfer deals but they started the window with a bang, concluding a £7.25million deal for Minamino 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 feature in the FA Cup third round when Liverpool host city rivals Everton on Sunday. Klopp has had fitness difficulties in recent weeks, with injuries stretching his squad, but Minamino’s arrival is timely and his new manager is confident he will make an immediate impact. MInamino had been on Liverpool’s radar for two years and his performances for Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League convinced Klopp 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 and Klopp explained: ‘We had a little talk — 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 to 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 (to adapt). ‘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 use his natural skills. We want him to be as natural as possible.’