Rival boss could reunite with 10-goal Liverpool hero as Reds pursue Raphinha

Transfer News: Takumi Minamino could move to Leeds United as Liverpool pursue Raphinha

According to LeedsLive, Takumi Minamino could be used as a makeweight by Liverpool in their bid to sign Raphinha from Leeds United.

The Whites have put a £60-70 million price tag on the Brazilian star but it seems that Jurgen Klopp could use the Japanese international as a makeweight. Raphinha, at 25, is one of the hottest properties in the PL right now.

Those who have watched him play for the Elland Road outfit would know all about his silky dribbling skills down the wings. But will it be worth sending Minamino the other way?

With 10 goals across all competitions this season, the ex-RB Salzburg forward was our unsung hero in cup competitions. He was our top scorer in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup- two trophies we went on to win against Chelsea at Wembley this season.

Should LFC sell Minamino?

At 27, he is still in the prime physical years of his career. He can’t really do anything more than make the most of his chances- which he did when Jurgen Klopp played him in cup competitions. He continues to be an important backup option for our frontline.

While the domestic cups seem to lose their shine as compared to the league title and the UEFA Champions League, they were two trophies important enough for the Reds to center their open-top bus parade around in May.

There is no doubt that the Reds fans would want to taste success like that again. If we offload a striker who was virtually our hero in both those competitions this campaign, then it really sends out a wrong message.

Moreover, it depletes our attack even further. Divock Origi is set to leave, Roberto Firmino has had injury issues, Sadio Mane is linked with an exit while Mohamed Salah is yet to renew his deal.

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Amidst this, the Reds must ensure that they don’t bring in players at the expense of ones they already have in the squad. Raphinha, if signed, could be a replacement for Mane or Salah- not Minamino. So, it doesn’t really make sense to include the Japanese star- who played under current Leeds boss Jesse Marsch during his time in Austria- in any potential deal.