It has only been just over a year since Liverpool swooped for Takumi Minamino but the Japanese wideman is already being linked with a permanent departure from Anfield.

The 26-year-old, currently on-loan at Premier League rivals Southampton, is interesting Sevilla, with the Spanish giants reportedly willing to pay up to €10m for the player according to reports in Spain..

Despite Minamino not having had the best of times with the Reds since his arrival from Red Bull Salzburg, it would certainly be a mistake to let him go this early.

In his first season with the Reds, he struggled for form, failing to get off the mark for goals. However, he has certainly improved during the 2020/21 campaign, scoring six goals and notching two assists for Liverpool and Southampton combined in all competitions. They are numbers that are certainly not too bad.

They are certainly better statistics than the likes of current Reds’ wide options, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have just one goal and five assists between them this season.

For a player who appears to be finally getting to grips with life in the Premier League, it seems quite premature for Liverpool to cut Minamino adrift so soon.

It is not like the Anfield outfit would be receiving any considerable financial benefit should he leave having forked out a reported £7.25m to bring the Japanese international to the club. Meanwhile, his wages are not the biggest burden on the club, with Minamino earning £72k per week - less than Shaqiri, Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner, amongst others.

With Jurgen Klopp proclaiming the Japanese as a “wonderful” signing upon his arrival at Anfield, it would seem unlikely that opinion will have changed in the 14 months since.

Minamino has certainly shown enough potential to be kept around so Liverpool should definitely not let him leave so soon.

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