Japanese star Minamino signs for Liverpool

LONDON: Japanese international Takumi Minamino signed for Champions League holders Liverpool on Thursday for a reported fee of £7.25 million ($9.5 million) from Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg, the Premier League leaders announced.

The 24-year-old forward—who impressed Liverpool in their two Champions League group matches this season with the Austrian side—is believed to have signed a four-and-a-half-year contract. “Liverpool Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached with Red Bull Salzburg for the transfer of Takumi Minamino,” the club said in a statement on their website. Minamino—who scored in the 4-3 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in October—said it fulfilled a dream. “It has been a dream, my dream to become a Liverpool player,” he told Liverpool.com.

“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.” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Minamino was a courageous player.