Southampton have confirmed the signing of Takumi Minamino on loan from Liverpool.
The Saints succeeded in completing a late deadline day deal for the Reds playmaker at the 11th hour, with the Japan international joining the south coast outfit for the remainder of the season.
Minamino, who joined Liverpool in a £7.25million from Red Bull Salzburg last January, has not played as much as he would have liked since his switch to the Premier League, scoring just four times in 30 appearances.
Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl told the club’s website: “I am very pleased to welcome Takumi to our squad for the rest of this season.
“He will help provide another good attacking option, and is importantly the right profile of player for us.
“This will give us some additional depth in our squad at an important time, and I am looking forward to beginning work with him on the training pitch.”
The 26-year-old will replace Shane Long, who moved to Bournemouth.
Long’s move was announced almost two hours after the deadline and paved the way for Josh King’s exit from the Cherries to Everton.
Hasenhuttl will be hoping Minamino helps resolve Southampton’s misfiring form in front of goal, with the Saints heading to Liverpool’s rivals, Manchester United, on Tuesday evening having drawn blanks in five of their last seven Premier League matches.
His move to Southampton comes after a busy day of transfers for the Merseyside club, with Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak joining from Preston North End and Schalke respectively.
Davies completed his move from Championship club Preston on Monday night, the initial fee believed to be in the region of £500,000, plus structured add-ons.
The 25-year-old has signed a long-term contract and bolstered Liverpool’s defensive ranks with Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho all currently sidelined by injury.
Davies told Liverpoolfc.com: “I’m obviously delighted to be here. It’s a huge opportunity.
“Obviously it came as a bit of a surprise when it first came but once you start to get your head around it, the opportunity that is in front of me is incredible.
“I’d be silly to not make the most of it and learn off the players (at the club).
“I’ve never actually been to Anfield and I haven’t had a look around yet. I had a quick look out and had a look at the pitch and it looks like carpet, which obviously you’d expect.
“I haven’t actually walked out of the tunnel yet, so I’m looking forward to that. Just to be in this kind of atmosphere is brilliant.”
Kabak, meanwhile, has joined the Reds on loan for an initial £1million fee with the option to buy for £18m at the end of the season.
Jurgen Klopp confirmed his side have lost Joel Matip for the rest of the season after they completed the double deadline-day signing of Davies and Kabak.
Matip was injured in a challenge with Tottenham striker Son Heung-min in Liverpool’s 3-1 away win last Thursday and will play no further part in the Reds’ Premier League title defence.
Manager Jurgen Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com: “It was really unlucky because it was a brilliant challenge he made actually, he saved our life in that moment in the Tottenham game when he won the challenge against Son.
“He injured his ankle and played the game on and now is out for the season, so you can imagine how much he tried to stay on the pitch and tried to help us.
“But he will be ready for the start of the next pre-season and finally everything will be sorted.”