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Written by Martin Graham | May 19, 2022
Calccircato It has been reported that Lazio are interested in 27-year-old Japanese striker Takumi Minamino, who is currently at Liverpool.
Minamino joined the Reds in 2020 after being impressed by the famous Red Bull Salzburg side who announced themselves to the world in the UEFA Champions League in the 2018/19 season.
He joined the team as a backup option and was excellent in the role as well. This season, he has scored 10 goals in 24 matches for Liverpool, with most of those matches being off the bench in both the Cup and the Premier League.
He is in fact Liverpool’s top scorer in both the FA Cup (four goals in five games) and the Carabao Cup (three goals in four games), both of which Liverpool have won, making him the most important player in those tournaments this season. .
But at 27, the Japan international may not feel comfortable using him as a team option anymore, and Lazio is said to be keeping an eye on him for that reason. Minamino is vying with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino (both of whom could also leave Liverpool this summer), Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz for a central position in the Reds’ attack.
If he decides to leave and Lazio sticks with him, he will go straight into their attack with veteran striker Pedro Rodriguez in the final year of his contract with Lazio and is unlikely to stay at the club after that time.
Klopp apologizes to Minamino for his role in the team
Jurgen Klopp recently praised Minamino for his dedication to Liverpool and his full acceptance of his role in the team.
Minamino started a rare Premier League match for Liverpool against Southampton on Tuesday as Klopp rested his side after the FA Cup final and before a trip to France to face the Champions League final.
He scored the equalizer against the Saints at St Mary’s, where he spent half of last season on loan. Liverpool went on to win the match with his team from the second series, and Minamino was a big part of that win.
“It’s a crime! I apologize! Crazy! People ask me if it’s hard to pick a lineup,” he answered reporters who asked why Minamino and some others don’t get a steady streak of matches on the team. “No that’s fine. I love it! I have options. Today we could have lined up differently, but we really liked it.”
“Takumi Minamino, it’s a crime he doesn’t play very often. It’s really hard for the boys, but whatever happened this year, it happened because of this group. He’s exceptional, and they showed that again tonight.”
Minamino has a net worth of €12 million, and at the time of writing, Lazio is the only one he’s courting.
