Roberto Firmino Speaks Out on Liverpool Future Amid Successor Speculation

Roberto Firmino, who will no longer play for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after this season, has spoken publicly about his desire to quit Anfield.

Roberto Firmino, a forward for Liverpool, has finally spoken out about his choice to quit the Anfield club when his contract ends at the end of the current campaign. His agent first announced the decision just over a month ago.

Firmino informed Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp that he want to go, and it is anticipated that a number of clubs in Italy and Spain will be interested in signing him on a free transfer.

Firmino said to ESPN Brasil after his key goal against Arsenal that tied the game at 2-2 over the weekend, “I won’t sᴀʏ much because otherwise, I’ll get emotional.”

“Because it’s a beautiful legacy with a beautiful history, at such a big club. I’m very happy and grateful to God for everything we have built here. But it’s a new situation for me; I’ve never been through it.

“I’ve been praying a lot for God to keep me and help me in this process. I’m working hard, always ready to help the team, and we’re together until the end. I want to finish well here with my teammates.”

Despite his impact and game-changing effort against Arsenal, Firmino should probably move on as the ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ is already 31 and towards the end of his career.

Moving some players on when they are over 30 is not a bad thing as long as they are appropriately replaced since Liverpool has too much work to do in its midfield due to aging stars.

Firmino will play more frequently if he moves away because of his ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ history over the past two seasons, which has been inconsistent, and because he has fallen behind others in the pecking order.

When Liverpool decided to recruit Cody Gakpo from PSV in a deal of an initial $45 million (£37 million/€42 million), perhaps that was the first indication that Firmino would be departing. At the time, it was obvious that adding another midfielder was a higher priority.

In a similar move to Luis Diaz joining Liverpool six months before Sadio Mané left, Gakpo has been used in the false nine position that Firmino made his own at his best. It does feel foreboding.

Liverpool will hope to be able to use Diaz more frequently in the upcoming season after the Colombian missed a big portion of this season due to ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ.

Gakpo has quietly adapted to the role for Liverpool extremely well so far, and along with Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota, they are all expecting to make a big impact.

Liverpool should transfer MLS World Cup winner to replace Roberto Firmino

In order to replace Roberto Firmino this summer, FSG could consider making a “first” in their transfer history at Liverpool by signing a World Cup-winning MLS star.

The contract of Roberto Firmino expires this summer, and even if Cody Gakpo has already joined the team as a nearly identical substitute, FSG should still fill the vacuum he will leave behind.

If Firmino leaves this summer, Jurgen Klopp will lose another crucial player who can contribute from the bench in the ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ lines. Liverpool just cannot afford to lose another player of that caliber after previously losing players like Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi in the previous summer.

Although the Reds may have a strong ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ, Firmino leaves a hole that may be filled by a squad player who could play not only in ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ but also, possibly, in midfield.

Thiago Almada, an Argentine World Cup champion, may be the answer Liverpool is looking for. The 21-year-old winger has long been seen as a promising young player who can also play in ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ and midfield.

Even back in 2020, when he was still representing Velez Sarsfield in Argentina, Liverpool.com speculated that he may be a target for Liverpool and compared him to Luis Suárez.

But since then, Almada has relocated to the Major League Soccer (MLS), where he has emerged as a star for Atlanta United, finishing his first season with 14 goal contributions in 31 games while primarily playing in midfield, earning him a call-up to the Argentina squad that won the World Cup last year, making him the first active MLS player to win the ᴍᴇɴ’s trophy.

Almada has contributed to nine goals in his first six games for Atalanta United in 2023, and The Guardian has speculated that he might be the greatest player to ever play in the league.

It’s obvious that he won’t be living in North America for much longer, and this summer might be the perfect time for Liverpool to sign the young player.