Jurgen Klopp has called on Liverpool fans to be patient with new signing Takumi Minamino ahead of his expected debut in the Reds' FA Cup third round meeting with Everton.
The Japan international was signed by Liverpool for £7.25m in December after impressing club officials during the Champions League group stage meetings between the Reds and Red Bull Salzburg.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference (via the Daily Star), the Liverpool manager insisted that fans will need to be patient with Minamino, a player who is moving from the Austrian league to the best team in the world:
“It would be crazy if you wouldn't do that. It would be nice if you could give him some time.
"We have a really good football team already and he is an offensive player. We have some of the best players in the world but we didn't bring him in to accept like I am number five, six, seven or eight.
“He can play different positions. We want to use his natural skills. We will not start filling him now with information immediately, 'you have to do this and that', we want him to be as natural as possible.
“It would be nice if you and all the other people would give him a bit of time.”
Klopp also remained coy when asked about whether or not Minamino would be the first of many winter acquisitions made by the club:
“We will probably not be too busy in the transfer window, we will see but it is unlikely.”
Source : 90min