[Photos] Minamino poses in No.18 shirt after completing £7.25m move to Liverpool

Liverpool have announced the signing of Takumi Minamino after the playmaker completed his £7.25m move from Red Bull Salzburg.

The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Anfield recently after impressing for Salzburg in the Champions League this season as the Austrian outfit narrowly missed out on qualification to the knockout stages.

Minamino caught Jurgen Klopp’s eye with two excellent displays during Liverpool’s group stage matches with Salzburg and the German coach wasted no time making his move to bring the Japan international to Merseyside this winter.

The playmaker arrived in England earlier this week to undergo his medical and discuss personal terms after Liverpool had agreed to meet Minamino’s £7.25m release clause – which is a bargain in today’s market for a player of his quality.

The formalities have now been concluded and the Reds announced on Liverpoolfc.com this morning that Minamino has agreed to join the club after a deal was reached with Salzburg. The attacker will officially become a Liverpool player on January 1st and will wear the No.18 shirt.

After sealing his move, Minamino expressed his delight at fulfilling his ‘dream’ to become a Liverpool player and said he can’t wait to play in the Premier League.

He told Liverpoolfc.com:

“It has been a dream, my dream to become a Liverpool player. And I’m so excited that the moment has come true.

“To play in the Premier League was one of my targets. I think this is the top-class league in the world; I was thinking if my career as a footballer progressed smoothly, someday I would be able to play in the Premier League.

“But I never thought I would be able to play in this team and I’m really happy about it. I’m looking forward to it.”

“From those games I learned this team has such a high level of technique and intensity,”

“Their football is of such a high level and I did feel that they were the champions of the Champions League. Feeling that, it makes me feel even happier that I can play in this team. I’m really happy to be part of that team.

“My target is to win the Premier League and the Champions League, and to make good contributions to the team.”

Minamino is predominantly a right winger but he’s capable of playing anywhere across the front three and he should certainly bring an added threat to Liverpool’s front-line as he’s provided 64 goals and 44 assists in his 199 games since joining Salzburg from Osaka in 2015.

The attacker has also scored 11 times in his 22 caps for Japan, and his hard-working attitude will fit perfectly with Klopp’s philosophy, so he should be an excellent piece of business for Liverpool.

Minamino is expected to link-up with his new team-mates in the New Year and could make his first team debut during Liverpool’s FA Cup third round tie against Everton at Anfield on January 5th.