Takumi Minamino faces an uncertain future at Liverpool but the Japan international is hoping to prove his worth at Anfield.
The 26-year-old spent the second half of the 2020-21 campaign on loan at Southampton, with two goals in 10 appearances for the Saints.
He is now due back on Merseyside for pre-season training but, after finding the target only four times in 31 games for the Reds, questions have been asked of whether another transfer could happen this summer.
What has been said?
Minamino admits he can offer no guarantees on what the immediate future holds for him, telling Atsuto Uchida: "I don't know what will happen, but for now, for the preseason, I'd like to go back to Liverpool and do my best there."
The bigger picture
Minamino is tied to a contract at Liverpool to 2024. He was snapped up in January 2020 and helped the Reds to Premier League title glory in his debut campaign, as a 30-year wait for a top-flight crown came to a close.
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His goal account was opened in the Community Shield before registering a first league effort in the 7-0 mauling of Crystal Palace, but regular starts proved hard to come by.
That situation led Minamino to St Mary's, but consistency also proved elusive on the south coast.
The Liverpool boss said in February, after sanctioning his loan move: "Takumi is a long-term project, always was.
"We see a lot of potential in Takumi and it makes absolute sense for him to play maybe 17 games in the Premier League, and then he comes back in a different mindset, confidence level all these kind of things so I hope it is a win-win situation.
"He just has to enjoy football again there. He’s an outstanding professional, a top talent and a really, really good player so it’s all good."
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