Top 5 possible destinations for Roberto Firmino
Those who have followed the English Premier League before 2015 will know very well that Liverpool was not always the dominant force that they now are. There was an incredibly long spell where they were simply a mediocre, mid-table team, scraping for a place in European competition and not challenging the title contenders, barring a few rare occasions.
The change started in that fateful year, 2015 when Jurgen Klopp was appointed as the manager of the Reds. But besides his arrival, 2015 also saw the arrival of a Brazilian striker from German club Hertha BSC – Roberto Firmino.
Though his name was not particularly famous, the Reds’ think tank had seen enough promise to shell out £29 million for him. Sadio Mane arrived a year later, and in 2017, a certain Mohamed Salah joined the Kopites to form a holy trinity, a deadly trio.
Over the years, this trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino has done wonders for Liverpool, helping them win nearly every trophy they possibly could, including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
However, all good things do come to an end, and it seems that the end of this saga is very near. Mane is reportedly nearing a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Salah is yet to sign on the dotted lines and might be thinking of considering other options, and Firmino might opt for a similar route as well.
His contract with Liverpool ends in 2023, and given that the new signings like Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are performing better and hence getting more minutes, the 30-year-old could be on his way out of Anfield.
If Firmino indeed wants to leave the Reds, Klopp’s team might want to sell him in this window itself before he becomes a free agent next season. Despite not being in the best of forms in recent times, Firmino is still certain to receive offers from many big clubs all across Europe.
Check out five teams who might be interested in signing Firmino:
#1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid might form an Antoine Griezmann-Roberto Firmino strike duo
Atletico Madrid is one of the many teams interested in Roberto Firmino, and there are justifiable reasons behind it. Firstly, statistics will show that Los Colcheneros are not very deadly in front of the goal, and manager Diego Simeone’s defensive style of football should not take the full blame.
Players like Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix have failed to show consistency and have delivered only in patches. Besides that, Atletico has let go of their joint-highest scorer of last season, Luis Suarez, on a free transfer. Hence, it is quite evident that they will be looking for reinforcements in this department, and Firmino could be their one-stop solution.
#2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich’s situation is a lot like Atletico Madrid, in a sense that they will be in the market for an attacker not because of their desire to strengthen, but because of their lack of firepower in that aspect. Robert Lewandowski, who has been the Bavarians’ number one source of goals for many years, has publicly announced his intention of leaving the club this summer.
Besides him, Serge Gnabry is also reportedly looking for a move elsewhere. With these two being Bayern’s best attackers, and another attacker in Thomas Muller being turning 33 years of age this season, manager Julian Nagelsmann will definitely send a requisition of a striker to the board.
#3 Newcastle United
Roberto Firmino could form a partnership with fellow Brazilian Joelinton at Newcastle United
Unlike Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, Premier League side Newcastle United will not offer Firmino any UEFA Champions League action, or for that matter, any European football at all. However, it will be a mistake to undermine the ‘football project’ going on at the club since the Saudi Arabian takeover.
The Magpies are likely to strengthen nearly every department this season, but the only department they will be most desperate to bolster is the attack. Firmino could be the leader of their attacking unit, which features another Brazilian in Joelinton. Besides that, Firmino and Joelinton have both coincidentally played for Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga.
#4 Barcelona
Besides Atletico Madrid, Barcelona is another team who could be in the race to acquire Firmino’s signature. Ever since Xavi was appointed as the manager, the Catalans seem to be heading in the right direction after a prolonged spell of mediocrity.
Despite funds being limited, Xavi has done well in terms of improving his attacking contingent by signing Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. With that being said, it also has to be noted that they still are quite a distance behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, and the signing of Firmino will help them somewhat close the gap.
#5 Juventus
Our last mention on this list, Juventus seems to be a tad far-fetched, but this deal could work out in one particular way. According to the latest reports, Liverpool is one of the teams interested in signing Virgil Van Dijk’s Dutch defensive partner, Matthijs de Ligt.
For very obvious reasons, the Old Lady has put a hefty price tag on the central defender, but the Reds could use Firmino in a part-exchange deal to reduce the transfer fee significantly. Besides that, Juventus’ reliable winger Paulo Dybala recently left the club on a free transfer, and Firmino could be used to fill up the vacancy.