Saints have been linked with a move for Takumi Minanino this summer, which came as a surprise given Ralph Hasenhuttl's somewhat economical use of the player, but the latest whispers out of Anfield seem to suggest that any potential deal will now be ruled out.

The news that Saints were interested in bringing Takumi Minamino back to St Mary's for next season came as a surprise to many Southampton supporters, there can be no doubt that the Japanese International had a touch of class about him as was evidenced by the goal on his debut followed by a run and finish in the home game against Chelsea.

But out of a potential 16 Premier League games he could have started he did so in just 9 plus just one outing as sub. After appearing in the game against Brighton on 14th March he would not feature again on the pitch until 30thh April , although he was an unused sub in all of the Premier League games played in that time.

That suggested that Ralph didn't quite fancy him as a player and most expected him to return to Liverpool with his Saints career ended for good.

But rumours surfaced that Saints had been talking to the Anfield club and were interested in bringing him back to St Mary's for the 2021/22 season, this surprised most.

But now it seems that those plans could be scuppered, with Minamino on £75 k a week, in these cash strapped times it looked beyond Saints finances to be able to afford a transfer fee as well as tempt Minamino away by even just matching his salary.

Our best hopes looked to be in signing him on another loan spell, but the latest news from Merseyside is that Liverpool see him as part of their plans and they are not interested in loaning him out, however they might be prepared to sell him if they get an exceptional offer.

There is no shortage of interest in Minamino if the rumour mill is to be believed , although how much substance in that is unsure, Liverpool's current stance may not be the one they still hold as the transfer window deadline approaches.

They will look to get the best deal for them, they do not see that as being a loan, so they will of course take the hard line now, but with Minamino struggling for game time with them last season even with a squad ravaged by injuries, they will perhaps have to consider loaning him again if there are no concrete offers on the table for a permanent move, but even if there are, with 3 years left on a lucrative wage he is unlikely to get elsewhere, Minamino himself might not be prepared to move somewhere permanently.

So it could be that Liverpool's hand will be forced in August, the rumours will abound as agents and perhaps even Liverpool's spin doctors try to make a move happen, but the reality is that like most transfers, it will probably be the final days of the transfer window before it is settled.

Photo: Action Images

EvertonSaint added 10:43 - Jun 14 If this is true then I am relieved. He just isn’t the consistent player we need if we are to be more of a threat to the upper echelons which we did in the first part of last season. Ralph is building and I firmly believe he can do better. The main problem is that we need a generous new owner ASAP if we are to fulfil our dreams and potential we all crave for
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WestSussexSaint added 10:54 - Jun 14 I was baffled by the signing last season given priories elsewhere at the time. Rumour was that Minamino only played as many games as he did as there was a financial clause in the loan deal that meant Ralph was almost compelled to pick him when available to avoid Saints having to pay more. I don’t see that much has changed on the priority front so I don’t think this is a major setback.

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SaintPaulVW added 11:02 - Jun 14 Based on his performances, I wasn't blown away. However he probably needs a bit of time to settle in and a more settled side. He might then thrive. However I think we have other areas that need more urgent investment. So unless this all negotiating tactics probably best for all parties if we all move on.
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highfield49 added 11:07 - Jun 14 He's a quality player but a luxury rather than a necessity at present. I'm one of those who believe that he doesn't have the sheer grit that we need to grind out results when, frequently, the going gets tough. I also doubt if he's really in Liverpool's plans either but agree that, like so many other players, his contract is not one he'll walk away from easily.
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codge added 12:05 - Jun 14 Really think we dodged a bullet thankfully.
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saintmark1976 added 12:28 - Jun 14 If you are correct Nick ( and frankly who knows ) £75000 a week for a bit part player is an example of all that is wrong with football at present. That’s over three and a half million pounds a year for pity sake. On the basis of what we saw of him I thought him average at best which puts him ahead of Redmond, who for reasons known only to Ralph was continually picked to play ahead of him.

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benalisbroom added 13:11 - Jun 14 In terms of attacking midfielders, I'd prefer to see them go for Matt Grimes of Swansea on a permanent transfer: a more rugged player, but definitely talented, and I think he'd play his heart out for the Saints for years to come. Appears to be a v popular player with Swansea fans (just reading their article about him on Fans Network).
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Colburn added 14:18 - Jun 14 Agree with Codge and others, I think we've dodged one there. He is too lightweight to play in any position other than striker in the Prem and don't see this is a priority. If Ralph doesn't trust Diallo and Jankewitz then we only have two cdms in the squad. We lose something in attack when Armstrong plays there. Full backs and cdm have to be sorted first. Just one thing I noted this week was Tella talking about the help from Walcott, so although I've knocked this transfer, it seems he is very useful for the development of the young attackers. Maybe Walcott is a good move after all.

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