Liverpool could have another Takumi Minamino on their hands if they’re not careful – Our View

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Liverpool’s hunt for a new number nine has reportedly led them to look into the prospect of signing Patson Daka from RB Salzburg.

Now, any Liverpool fan would be forgiven for looking at his goalscoring record this season and immediately getting excited, and why wouldn’t you? He’s scored 20 goals in 18 league appearances this term.

However, it has to be noted that this is only the Austrian Bundesliga we’re talking about, and with all due respect to the other teams in that division, it’s not the highest standard of football in Europe.

That isn’t to say that you can’t find incredible talent in that league. Liverpool know all too well that it’s possible, with Sadio Mane and Naby Keita both being a former Salzburg players, while the last player to score goals at the same rate as Daka was Erling Haaland, a man who could now be considered arguably the greatest striker on the planet.

However, one thing Haaland had that Daka doesn’t is an exceptional record in European competition and at international level.

Indeed, Haaland scored eight goals in six Champions League appearances for Salzburg last term, proving that he could do it against top opposition, thus alleviating any concerns Borussia Dortmund may have had when signing him in January.

Daka, on the other hand, has played 26 games in UEFA competitions, including qualifying, and he’s scored just five goals in that time, a record that no striker on the planet will be envious of.

Factor in that he’s scored just three goals in 13 appearances for Zambia, where he’s playing against higher-quality opposition, and it begins to look like his numbers are being inflated by the fact he’s playing in a minor league.

We’ve seen this before at Liverpool. Takumi Minamino looked like a real star at Salzburg, but just one year after joining the Reds in January 2020 he has just one league goal to his name for Liverpool and he’s been loaned out to Southampton.

Now, we’re not saying Minamino is a bad player, we actually think he’s rather talented, but even his biggest fan would have to admit he’s not looked as good at Liverpool as he did at Salzburg, and that’s the risk you’re taking when you shop in this sort of market.

Daka would be a gamble for Liverpool, especially if he’s the only number nine they sign this summer, and while he could be a success, Liverpool must keep in mind that for every Haaland or Mane you sign from Austria, there’s a Minamino.