---
title: "Virals: Paul Gorst believes Takumi Minamino ‘will leave’ this summer"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/news/virals-paul-gorst-believes-takumi-minamino-will-leave-this-summer/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Dan Clubbe"
section: "Liverpool News"
published: "2021-06-04T15:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-06-04T15:00:00Z"
---

# Virals: Paul Gorst believes Takumi Minamino ‘will leave’ this summer

[Liverpool](https://readliverpoolfc.com/2021/06/04/virals-trent-alexander-arnold-absolutely-gutted-to-miss-euro-2020/) forward [Takumi Minamino](https://readliverpoolfc.com/2021/05/22/virals-takumi-minamino-wanted-for-next-season/) could be sold as soon as this summer, just 18 months after arriving on Merseyside.

That’s according to [Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Gorst](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-live-transfer-raphinha-tielemans-20741277), whilst answering questions from inquisitive Reds on Friday afternoon.

Asked what the future holds at Anfield for the 26-year-old Japanese ace, who spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on [loan at Southampton](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/424573-takumi-minamino-joins-southampton-on-loan), Gorst gave short shrift when delivering a relatively damning verdict.

> According to Ralph Hasenhuttl, Southampton want to keep him. Liverpool are saying no decision has been made, but I suspect he will leave if they can get a decent fee for the Japan international.

The response was cited by [Watch LFC](https://twitter.com/Watch_LFC/status/1400796352838307847) on Twitter and unsurprisingly caused a stir amongst Kopites – plenty of whom might’ve thought Minamino would return to the Reds following Jurgen Klopp’s [positive assessment](https://www.football365.com/news/klopp-hopes-minamino-returns-with-a-different-mindset) earlier this year.

Signed from Red Bull Salzburg at the start of 2020 for just £7.25million ([Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/11890345/takumi-minamino-liverpool-sign-red-bull-salzburg-midfielder)), the deal to bring the [28-cap](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/takumi-minamino/nationalmannschaft/spieler/165793/verein_id/3435) star was a relatively low-risk transfer.

### READ LIVERPOOL VERDICT

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise given the [unsuccessful](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/takumi-minamino/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/165793) nature of Minamino’s year on Merseyside.

Despite boasting impressive versatility, the [£10.8million valued](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/takumi-minamino/marktwertverlauf/spieler/165793) man struggled to feature in Klopp’s plans at every given turn.

As the Reds go in search of their own summer transfer targets, [needing to sell](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-sell-11-players-millions-20264292) in order to do so, allowing Minamino to reignite a career elsewhere makes perfect sense.

With the Saints and Sevilla [touted](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-transfer-news-ocampos-minamino-23539798) as potential suitors recently, Liverpool can be confident of making a tidy profit on their asset.