“The right profile of player for us”: Ralph Hasenhuttl Reveals Reason Behind Southampton Moving For Takumi Minamino

The player ended up moving to Southampton from Liverpool at the tailend of the January transfer window

For Liverpool, the concluding day of the January transfer window was a hectic and gruelling one. In dire need of bolstering its backline, the team was linked with a string of names all across 1^st February as it engaged in arduous negotiations with a slew of clubs.

However, that wasn’t the only bit of transfer activity going on at the club. Where the club was working on the incoming duo of Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak, the side was also working on deals to send out players left on the periphery of the club’s squad.

And the team finally ended up cracking a deal for attacking player, Takumi Minamino with Southampton. The player who had joined Liverpool from RB Salzburg a couple of seasons back made the switch to Southampton on a season long loan after failing to get any meaningful minutes this season.

Despite scoring for Liverpool in their 7-0 rout of Crystal Palace, Minamino failed to earn trust with Klopp. The player has scored only on four occasions in 31 matches since switching to the Premier League with him never able to get an extended run in the club’s playing 11.

Hasenhuttl Pleased With Minamino’s Quality

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said: “I am very pleased to welcome Takumi to our squad for the rest of this season.

“He will help provide another good attacking option, and is importantly the right profile of player for us.

“This will give us some additional depth in our squad at an important time, and I am looking forward to beginning work with him on the training pitch.”

Liverpool Reject Permanent Transfer

Southampton who were extremely eager to land the player saw a bid for a permanent transfer at the end of the season be spurned by Liverpool. The club had to settle for a loan deal, one which will see them shell out 500,000 pounds to Liverpool to acquire the player for the stipulated period.

Liverpool’s decision to stave off a permanent transfer could augur well for Minamino and his future. Liverpool’s decision to hang onto the player alludes towards the club’s willingness to give him a second chance if he’s able to unlock his true potential at Southampton.

Minamino becomes the third Japanese player to ply his goods for Southampton.