Ralph Hasenhuttl backs Takumi Minamino's talents amid £17m exit links

Liverpool are reportedly prepared to sell Japanese forward Takumi Minamino for around £17million this summer amid interest from clubs across England and France.

It is claimed that Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham, Southampton and Monaco have all expressed an interest in signing the 27-year-old, who has spent the last two and a half years at Anfield, this summer.

The Reds signed Minamino from Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020, but the versatile attacker has failed to cement a first-team spot under Jurgen Klopp, spending the second half of the 2020-21 campaign out on loan at St Mary's.

While with Saints, who have been linked by BBC Sport among other clubs with interest this summer, the Japanese international scored twice in ten appearances on the south coast, with one of those goals coming against Chelsea.

Speaking last year, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl praised the 27-year-old's character and felt that he fit perfectly in his squad during his loan spell, suggesting he is a very good player in a number 10 role.

"I was absolutely happy to work with him [Minamino], he was a fantastic character and I really enjoyed it (the loan deal)," said Hasenhuttl in November 2021, as published by HampshireLive. "Minamino fit perfectly into our team, definitely. He had a few good games and he scored a few good goals for us as well. He was a big help in that number ten position.

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Minamino often struggled for opportunities at Anfield due to the competition for places up front in the Liverpool squad. Last season, Minamino found himself below the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Divock Origi for minutes, limiting him to just 11 Premier League appearances and only one league start.

Hasenhuttl believes that the quality in Liverpool's " Champions League winning squad" makes it tough for Minamino to get regular chances, ringing true due to his lack of minutes and expected summer transfer exit.

"[Mo] Salah and [Sadio] Mane always want to play, even in the Champions League they do not want to step out the team, they want to score goals and if they do not they're not happy," Hasenhuttl added.

"If it wasn't for [Roberto] Firmino and [Diogo] Jota, in that deeper number ten position it would be just perfect for Taki. It's not easy to play ahead of those players though, and this is what a Champions League winning squad is."

Minamino did end last season with ten goals in 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring three league goals, three in the FA Cup and four in the Carabao Cup. In all competitions, he averaged a goal every 100.8 minutes for Liverpool in the 2021-22 campaign.

The former Southampton loanee is currently on international duty with Japan and earned his 40th cap during their friendly defeat to Brazil on Monday. Japan take on Ghana in the semi-final of the Kirin Cup on Friday, with the winner facing either Chile or Tunisia in the final on Tuesday.