Roberto Firmino has said that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, and for the second time in a year, Liverpool supporters will be bidding goodbye to another Jürgen Klopp legend, after the departure of Sadio Mané last summer.
Firmino’s exit, although deeply felt, is unquestionably the correct decision. Both for the player and the club. Liverpool is at a critical phase in the club’s long-term future.
Klopp has reached a ceiling and has one of the Premier League’s oldest teams. He has assembled an all-star squad. But now he has to start from scratch, and although he may save parts of the foundations of the previous home, he cannot keep everything.
So does Liverpool need a straight replacement for Firmino? It is a moot point. Much like Luis Daz replaced Mané last season during the January transfer window, Liverpool seems to have replaced Firmino with Cody Gakpo.
But it doesn’t меa𝚗 Liverpool doesn’t need to make another signing. There will still be a gap in the a/s/s/a/u/l/t. It might simply be a less like-for-like substitute. Similar to the way Darwin Nez came in last summer to provide Klopp with a new sort of a/s/s/a/u/l/t t/h/r/e/a/t.
This time, Liverpool must concentrate on the right wing. Mohamed Salah is still going strong, but with the Egyptian about to be 31 this summer, he won’t be around forever, particularly if he is to be depended on the right side. Liverpool currently does not have a viable backup option for him, and that type of pressure can be taxing on a player. Consider Fabinho’s decrease this season.
Thus the ideal o/f/f/e/n/s//i/v/e recruit for Liverpool would be someone who could relieve Salah’s burden while also providing depth in other areas of the attack. He would be a hybrid option, and it seems that is precisely what Liverpool is looking for at the moment.
According to transfer analyst Ekrem Konur, Liverpool is planning a $49.6 million (£40 million/€45.5 million) deal for Eintracht Frankfurt’s 23-year-old Danish forward, Jesper Lindstrom.
The lively o/f/f/e/n/s/i/v/e midfielder, who has mostly played in the attacking midfield position for Frankfurt this season, is also capable of playing on the right wing and has done so multiple times this season while contributing 13 goals to his team.
Lindstrom, who is quick and direct, has previously played in central midfield and holding midfield positions, as well as as a center-forward and a left-winger. He has served in nine different jobs. It seems like the sort of player Klopp is looking for.
The Liverpool boss enjoys working with flexible players and developing them to his taste, which makes Lindstrom an excellent match, particularly given he may also be deployed in midfield, which might help Klopp fix another issue area.
But it’s not simply his adaptability that would make him an enticing proposition at Anfield. Lindstrom has previously talked highly of Liverpool and claimed to be a lifelong Reds fan, even noting how it would be “great” for him to relocate to the club in the future.
“I’ve always mentioned that I’m a Liverpool fan, so it may be incredibly wonderful to play for Liverpool at some time,” Lindstrom previously said to the TV 2 show ‘Frstevaelger,’ according to the ECHO.
If there was ever a player who suited Liverpool better. Lindstrom is one to keep an eye on, whether or not an offer from Liverpool is forthcoming.