Liverpool legend Steve Nicol is delighted with the expected deal for RB Salzburg attacker Takumi Minamino.

The Japan international has a £7.25m release clause in his contract which Liverpool are set to trigger on January 1.

Nicol told ESPN FC: "If it is £7.25million that they're paying for him, it's not even a gamble. When you look at the money teams are spending on players at the moment, it's not even a gamble.

"The truth is, this guy is a huge prospect. He's 24, but I hadn't heard of him before Liverpool played against him, then all of a sudden you're standing on the edge of your seat taking notice of a player who wasn't overawed, he couldn't wait to get stuck into Liverpool.

"If this goes through, it'll be a great signing. Again, young players who cost a lot of money, you've got the likes of [Sadio] Mane, [Mohamed] Salah, look at the amount they've spent on them and in terms of all the crazy transfers, this is a fantastic bit of business."