Juventus make £19.5m bid for Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino
According to TuttoJuve (h/t The Mirror), Juventus have made a fresh £19.5 million bid for Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, but the bid has been met with doubts from the Reds. The Serie A club remain keen to get their hands on the Brazilian and could improve their offer.
The 30-year-old has been an ever-present at Anfield since Jurgen Klopp took over in 2015. But his influence has now diminished after several seasons spent at the forefront of the German manager’s plans.
Diogo Jota’s arrival in 2020 would have marked the beginning of a shift in power at Anfield and Luis Diaz’s signing would have given a second indication that a new front three is being formed.
Liverpool are now well-stocked up front thanks to Benfica’s Darwin Nunez who was signed for £80million this summer. However, it would also imply that Firmino, who will turn 31 in October, will have to settle for a supporting role.
There is only one year left on the Brazilian attacker’s contract, and he is yet to pen a new deal. It was claimed that Liverpool would be planning to speak with the forward and his camp about his future.
The Serie A team have made an initial €23 million (£19.5 million) offer for Firmino in response to their interest in him. However, the Reds have turned down the offer, and the Bianconeri would reportedly be preparing an improved bid to bring him to Turin.
Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t prefer to get in his way if the former Bundesliga forward preferred to leave the club. Of course, by doing so, the Reds would recuperate some of the money they paid to sign him from the German side, Hoffenheim in 2015.
Keep or sell?
The 30-year-old striker is renowned for his tenacity, relentless pressing, and work rate off the ball, which has helped create opportunities for those around him.
The Brazilian attacker scored 27 goals in a front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane during the 2017–18 season, wherein he played a crucial role in the squad. Roberto Firmino managed to score 11 goals and provide five assists last season, but only played 35 games for the Anfield side as a result of injuries and more competition in the attacking options.
Under Jurgen Klopp, he has been a key player in helping the club win numerous titles, however, things would have changed from the moment the board decided to bring in fresh faces in the attack.
The forward hasn’t drawn much attention despite the fact that players like Jota, Mane, Salah, and Diaz have all played more minutes than him, and Nunez is expected to follow suit.
Instead, the Brazilian would be eager to contribute whenever Klopp wants him, which would be one of the reasons that the club would prefer to keep him beyond summer.
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It is important to have such players who would be willing to wait for their opportunity and are aware of their place in the situation. It remains to be seen whether the Old Lady will come back with an offer that the Reds cannot refuse.
