The Athletic journalist James Pearce has insisted that Takumi Minamino “was always going to need time to adjust” to his new surroundings at Liverpool.

The 25-year-old completed a move to Anfield earlier this month having impressed for Red Bull Salzburg in the first half of the 2019/20 campaign, scoring nine times in all competitions.

Minamino has made three appearances for Liverpool since arriving on Merseyside, although he has only played 57 minutes of Premier League football.

The attacker was used for 85 minutes against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon but could not help his side triumph as the two teams played out a 2-2 draw.

A number of Liverpool fans were hugely critical of Minamino’s performance at the weekend and now Pearce has had his say on the topic.

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Indeed, in response to quotes attributed to the new signing in the aftermath of the Shrewsbury clash, the journalist insisted that the Japan international must be given time to develop.

Pearce’s tweet can be seen below:

Meanwhile, one player in a Liverpool shirt particularly struggled during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.