Breaking down what the Werner collapse means for Minamino
Liverpool failed with Timo Werner, what does it mean for Takumi Minamino?
The Japanese international was signed in January from RB Salzburg, but found minutes tricky to come by and is running the risk of being forgotten about by fans.
However, the decision not to go after Werner must mean that Jurgen Klopp and figures at the top of the club have a plan to deal with the potential loss of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah to AFCON.
Here’s where Takumi Minamino could come in.
His most natural position would be as cover to Roberto Firmino, which is also where Werner would have felt the most comfortable. However, Minamino is also capable of featuring on the flanks and he gives excellent all round cover.
If Divock Origi remains at Liverpool, Klopp will have a fair amount of senior rotation options available to him – even if none of them are at the level of the first choice trio.
FSG, who own the club, want to run it like a business and that helps to explain why they haven’t been happy to break the bank over the past few years. They’ve invested wisely, spent when they needed to and ensured quality over quantity.
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There are plenty of owners around the Premier League who don’t think that way and that can help to explain why Chelsea were happy to offer Werner an incredibly convincing financial package. In the end, Liverpool just couldn’t compete.
But with Minamino in the squad, there’s no reason why they have to compete.
It’s true that we haven’t seen the best of the forward, but he joined a side mid-way through their domestic campaign and was given very little time to get his feet under the table.
This break for COVID-19 could help him in that sense, while this mini preseason will aid the forward in getting up to speed with what Klopp wants.
In the long run, his position in the squad is more secure and it conveys the trust the gaffer places in his rotation options to get the job done if they are called upon.
Next. We signed Takumi Minamino on Football Manager and this is what happened. dark
Missing out on Werner has caused some consternation among fans but it should be viewed with one eye on the long-term. If it means Minamino is given more chance to make a success of his Merseyside stay, then I’m all in.