Klopp gives his verdict on the future of 30-year-old Liverpool ace

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp his verdict on the future of Roberto Firmino

In an effort to put an end to rumours about a prospective departure, Jurgen Klopp has suggested that Roberto Firmino is still ‘essential’ to Liverpool. He gave this assessment in an interview as quoted by the Liverpool Echo

After Sadio Mane’s departure and Mohamed Salah’s new deal, the Brazilian is the last of the Reds’ legendary front three left with his future uncertain. He has a year left on his deal at Anfield.

With his contract running down, Liverpool must decide whether they should sell him this summer or risk losing him for free the following year. The versatile front-man is also on Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri’s wishlist.

Diogo Jota has moved ahead of Firmino in the pecking order in recent months, and Darwin Nunez’s arrival will not have done him any favours. However, the experienced striker has a chance to stay in the lineup given Jota’s injury and Klopp’s propensity to introduce Nunez gradually to the lineup.

Furthermore, the German manager called Firmino the ‘heart and soul’ of the team in a pre-match interview ahead of this weekend’s Community Shield match against Manchester City, dropping a hint that a quick departure is highly improbable.

“Bobby is crucial for us, he is the heart and soul of this team. Everything looks really good. He is essential for us.”

Firmino brings an entirely new dimension to the team. He is right up there among the team’s finest players in terms of vision and inventiveness in the final third.

The Brazilian adds more balance to the team’s midfield when he is on the field by dropping deep to receive the ball and bringing the wingers into the action. He made up one-third of the once-famous but now-broken Firmino-Sadio Mane-Mohamed Salah front three.

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Although the 30-year-old might not be an automatic first XI player anymore, he still has a huge role to fulfil at Anfield. The forward played in just 20 league games last year, despite the fact that injuries haven’t helped his situation.

Jota and Diaz had established positions for themselves in the team. Nunez’s much-anticipated transfer from Benfica means that he will likely be ahead of Firmino in the pecking order. That doesn’t mean, though, that the Brazilian won’t be important to us.