Takumi Minamino's first days with the Monegasque squad
He has crossed the globe to wear the Rouge et Blanc. On Thursday, Takumi Minamino came to Lagos, where AS Monaco are currently doing their pr-season training, to join his new team. After a journey of more than 11,000 kilometers and a stopover in Frankfurt, the 27-year-old striker showed up at the Cascade Wellness Resort at the end of the afternoon, tired but with a big smile and plenty of enthusiasm.
ようこそ、南野選手 !
Welcome @takumina0116 🇯🇵✍🏼#WelcomeTakumi pic.twitter.com/2kpTKrGFmC
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) June 28, 2022
Meeting the squad
After putting his suitcases in his room and enjoying some well-deserved rest, he was able to meet Philippe Clement and his new teammates over dinner and was quick to chat with them… even if he already knew them a little, since he had followed them and had been thrilled by several Rouge et Blanc matches last season on TV!
“I’m very enthusiastic”
“It’s a new challenge for me, a new team, a new country, a new league: Ligue 1,” says the new Monegasque striker. “I am very excited to join my teammates. I watched a few matches last season, I know the team a little bit.”
The Japanese international (42 caps, 17 goals), a five-time Austrian champion with RB Salzburg and winner of the Premier League in 2020 with Liverpool, will take his first training session Friday, then return to the Principality on Saturday evening with the rest of the Monegasque squad. Welcome Takumi!
