Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly leading the race to land Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino in the summer transfer window.
According to Football Insider, Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers are leading the race to land Liverpool star Takumi Minamino in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Japanese international joined the Reds from Red Bull Salzburg in the 2020 January transfer window. While he may never have developed into a first-team regular for Liverpool, Minamino has impressed and scored several key goals for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
That is especially true in cup competitions. The attacker was Liverpool’s top scorer in their Carabao Cup and FA Cup campaigns in 2021/22, both of which they won. Minamino might have not played much in the latter stages, but he essayed a huge role in the Merseyside giants even reaching the showpiece events at Wembley.
It is going to be a summer of change at Anfield, and Minamino could be one of the players on the way out of Liverpool. At 27, he is at the peak of his career and is not short of options. Fulham, Leeds United, Southampton and AS Monaco are keeping tabs on his progress.
Wolves, however, are at the head of the queue and are ready to meet Liverpool’s £17 million asking price. They have already met with Minamino’s representatives, and a deal could be in the offing. Bruno Lage is building a solid side at the Molineux and could do with a player of Minamino’s ability in the attack.
A major weakness Wolves faced last season was scoring goals. They found the back of the net just 38 times in the Premier League, a tally that is only better than the three relegated sides. The loss of Pedro Neto to injuries did not help matters, and adding Minamino to the roster will hand Lage strength in depth up front.
The Japanese international is an excellent squad player at Liverpool but will struggle to break into the first XI. Sadio Mane’s impending exit does offer him an opportunity, but Darwin Nunez’s arrival should plug it. With Luis Diaz also in the mix, Minamino will have a hard time securing enough playtime.
Minamino still has plenty of years left in him and has shown to have the ability to thrive in the Premier League. A move to the Molineux will hand him just the opportunity and is likely to be a win-win for all parties involved. The fact that Liverpool stand to make a profit makes it yet another impressive win for their transfer committee.
