Two more teams join the battle to sign 27-year-old Liverpool attacker

Lyon and Atalanta join the race for Liverpool winger Takumi Minamino

According to Liverpool Echo, Lyon and Atalanta have joined a series of European heavyweights in the race to sign Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino.   

Last season, the attacker established himself as the domestic cup master, scoring seven of his ten goals in the League and FA Cups, and serving as a driving force in both trophy victories. Despite displaying flashes of potential throughout his two-and-a-half years at Anfield, the 27-year-old never managed to push his way into Jurgen Klopp’s first XI.

It would appear that scoring a goal approximately every 90 minutes as a rotating attacker might help a player’s transfer prospects, as the Japanese international presently has a slew of suitors in the Premier League and around Europe.

Monaco are thought to be leading the chase for the former RB Salzburg midfielder, with Leeds, Wolves, and Southampton close behind. Lyon and Atalanta are said to have entered the battle for his signing.

A bidding battle for an obviously gifted youngster might allow Liverpool to exceed their £17 million demand for the Japanese star, which is already more than double the reported £7.25m million they paid to get him to Anfield.

Since joining Liverpool from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020, the 27-year-old has struggled to displace the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in Jurgen Klopp’s legendary front three.

Minamino was pushed lower down the pecking order at the club due to Luis Diaz’s good play, despite the fact that he still managed 10 goals and one assist in 24 games across all competitions last season.

The 27-year-old played a key role in Liverpool’s FA Cup and Carabao Cup victories, and he will depart Anfield with his head held high.

He was unlucky that he was battling for a starting spot against some of Europe’s top attackers; else, he could have enjoyed more prominent career with Liverpool.

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Selling him isn’t in our best interests because he’s great for cup rotation and scored a critical goal against Southampton to help take the Premier League title fight to the last day of the season.

Even if you’re winning trophies, you can’t keep squad players happy indefinitely, just like Divock Origi. It seems highly likely that the Japanese would move elsewhere in the ongoing window. As he already has several options, he might not face any trouble deciding his next move.