PROFILE | Understated Takumi Minamino mixing it with the youngsters at Monaco | OneFootball

It isn’t abnormal to struggle to adapt to a new league, a new country, new club, new teammates, new surroundings, new play-style, new manager, new language. Given the upheaval, it is even a surprise, and a testament to the work put in by clubs behind the scenes, that players joining from abroad adapt quite as quickly as they do, in many cases.

So perhaps Takumi Minamino’s struggles in his debut season at Monaco shouldn’t come as such a surprise, but they did. His levels fell way short of what he showed since making the move to Europe (25 appearances, one goal). Externally, the former Liverpool winger, who lost his place in the international set-up, looked like a flop and there was great scepticism that he would be able to turn things around. Internally, however, towards the end of that campaign, there was a curious optimism that, to those on the outside looking in, looked unfounded.

But Minamino did bounce back and bounce back spectacularly. A shy and introverted character, this attested to his strength of character and a mental fortitude; he couldn’t have succeeded at Monaco without it.

A familiar face

In his second season, he netted nine goals in Ligue 1, four of which came in 2024. The difference was night and day but not merely explained by more vague notions of integration and feeling more comfortable. The managerial change also had an impact. After missing out on all forms of European football, Philippe Clement made way, replaced by Adi Hütter.

Former RB Salzburg manager Hütter is a proponent of the Red Bull model and now implements that philosophy at the Principality club. It is a way of playing that Minamino was certainly familiar with. The familiarity didn’t end there; Minamino even played under Hütter in Salzburg (17 games, three goals, three assists) during the 2014/15 season.

Getting the best out of Minamino wasn’t the reason for bringing Hütter into the club but it was a happy byproduct. “The change of coach was a big thing, we changed tactically and I already knew the coach,” said the Japan international earlier in 2024.

Under Hütter, he replicated the form that initially saw him earn a move to Liverpool, proving a livewire between the lines, finding space,, crashing into the box and having the eye for a pass, often finding the likes of Maghnes Akliouche and Folarin Balogun who were reliant on his service and ability to pick out their runs in behind.

His 15 goal contributions in the 2023/24 season helped Monaco back into the Champions League after a seven-year absence from the group stage (now League Phase), even if Les Monégasques failed to challenge PSG for the Ligue 1 title. Given the youthfulness of Akliouche and Eliesse Ben Seghir, who returned from a long-term injury towards the end of the campaign, he was relied upon as a more experienced player, less susceptible to the inconsistency that characterises the development of young players, as talented as Akliouche and Ben Seghir are.

It meant that, despite Monaco’s strategy of creating room for young players to thrive, there was no question of selling Minamino in the summer. “Minamino and Aleksandr Golovin had very good seasons and it isn’t our priority to sell these players,” said CEO Thiago Scuro at the end of the season.

Pressure on ‘performance players’ at Monaco

There is a certain pressure on the older players to perform at the Principality club. “For me, we should be two-thirds development players and one-third performance players. Monaco can’t have a 26 or a 27-year-old that doesn’t have a real impact on the team because this allows us to develop young players,” Scuro told me in December. Monaco’s CEO also stated a desire for 50% of Les Monégasques’ squad to be academy products. The equation for Minamino, now the oldest player in the Monaco squad is simple – perform or leave. His ability to do the former consistently in 2024 excludes the possibility of the latter, at least in the immediate future.

His performances also meant that Monaco did not need to recruit in this sector in the summer, allowing funds to be diverted elsewhere, strengthening higher-priority positions, notably the midfield with Lamine Camara brought in for good money.

However, whilst there was no recruitment in this sector, there is increased competition that has seen Minamino’s gametime decrease this season. Akliouche is looking to build on the promise of his breakthrough campaign and is a regular down the right but the real difference is the return of Ben Seghir.

The Morocco international missed the majority of the 2023/24 campaign with a succession of injuries, including a significant shoulder dislocation. His development is prioritised, in some ways to the detriment of Minamino, who is the most logical player to give way.

Minamino – a victim of the strategy?

“We have lots of young talents: Ben Seghir, Akliouche, Camara… no one knows them really well in Europe. [The Champions League] is a good stage to present them,” said Hütter ahead of Les Monégasques’ Champions League bow against Barcelona. Perhaps these significant goals pertaining to the strategy of the club explain why Minamino has started just half of Monaco’s Champions League games; his last start in the competition came against Red Star Belgrade on 22nd October. He netted twice and registered an assist in that game.

That was a standout performance in what has otherwise been a slightly quieter campaign for Minamino, at least in part due to the aforementioned strategic reasons, which are largely out of his control although not entirely.

In 20 appearances (including 15 starts) in all competitions this season, he has three goals and three assists – a modest but not insignificant return. He isn’t as flashy as Akliouche or Ben Seghir but he is certainly still a key member of this squad, an effective one who continues to make an impact when called upon, as he still regularly is. Minamino is understated but certainly not undervalued either by Monaco or by Hütter.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle