Takumi Minamino in Contention to Make Debut Against Everton

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool’s new attacker—and likely only January signing according to Jürgen Klopp—could debut in the FA Cup.

Jürgen Klopp says he’s expecting new signing Takumi Minamino to be able to make an instant impact—but that fans hoping for a busy January after the 24-year-old Japanese international arrived from RB Leipzig shouldn’t get their hopes up.

“That’s the little talk we had,” Klopp noted of his new signing at his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Sheffield United match. “We signed Takumi Minamino from Salzburg, a guy who played against us like crazy, who was like crazy.”

“Just be that and everything will be fine. We signed him for the player he was at Salzburg and he doesn’t have to change anything in the moment. Just be who he is and then we can start working on things and I am looking forward to it.”

However, Minamino won’t be eligible to play against Sheffield. Despite Liverpool having agreed his deal previously, he wasn’t able to be registered until today and to keep a level playing field no newly signed players can take part this matchweek.

“Is he in contention for Everton?” Klopp added when asked how soon he would seek to include him. “Of course. This game we are not allowed to use him but from the next moment on we are thinking about putting him in the squad.”

When pressed on the issue of further signings, though, Klopp stressed that getting deals done during the season is “always tricky,” that Liverpool would “probably not be too busy,” and that it’s “unlikely” they sign anyone else.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com