As Jurgen Klopp’s ruthless remodelling of the Reds attack continues, Liverpool is expected to bid Roberto Firmino farewell following Sadio Mane’s exit.
One of the greatest attacking trios in history will be Firmino, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mane. Over the course of their five seasons together, they scored 374 goals for the Reds. And Liverpool has achieved all that was possible, coming very near to a quadruple in 2021–2022.
However, Luis Diaz’s arrival in January from Porto gave a strong indication of what was to come. Due to his impact, the Colombian was frequently referred to as the season’s best signing when he seamlessly integrated into their attack.
The biggest sign, however, didn’t arrive until earlier this month, when Liverpool broke their club record to bring Darwin Nunez to Anfield.
The Uruguayan joined from Benfica with an intimidating record and appears to be another wise acquisition by the Reds.
This summer, Mane, Salah, and Firmino will all enter the final year of their contracts, giving Liverpool little other option.
And on Tuesday, when Mane finished a £35 million deal to Bayern Munich, the first of those departures was made official.
Everyone is grateful for him as he leaves Anfield, including Klopp, who says Mane made “it all possible.”
Firmino is expected to be the next to leave as that chapter of their history comes to an end.
Former Reds winger Stewart Downing predicts that his time is also running out.
Brazilian’s time will soon be up
Speaking before the July 8 360 Sports TV Masters Cup, which will be streamed on 360 Sports TV, Downing believes that the Brazilian may be the next to leave.
“Roberto Firmino didn’t play as frequently as he would have liked toward the end of last season. He played in almost all of the games when he was a regular.
“It’s part of the football cycle. Everyone was taken aback when Diogo Jota entered. I was aware of his talent, but he scored goals and made quick progress.
Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Luis Daz were also moved to the side in front of Firmino. For clubs like Liverpool, you must constantly be at the top of your game because they must advance; it will be intriguing to see.
“I’m hoping Darwin Nunez gets off to a fast start. I think of Firmino as his backup player. It would be a fantastic addition for Liverpool if they could bring Firmino back to his previous level of performance.
But he might do so till January if this is to be his final year.
Roberto Firmino could depart sooner than that
While Downing is correct that Firmino’s time is running out, it might happen sooner.
His contract is up in the summer of 2023, just like Salah’s. And Liverpool will be well aware that as his contract expiration date approaches, his value will decline.
Additionally, starting January 1, the player will be able to discuss a free move with other clubs.
Instead, we might imagine the possibility that Firmino goes this summer as well. The Reds would have to give it some serious thought if they were to get a firm offer for his services.
That would undoubtedly hasten their efforts to try and renegotiate a new contract with Salah.
The Reds attack, though, might lack a little in numbers now that Divock Origi is also departing. Of course, Diaz, Nunez, Joto, and Salah are all more than capable of scoring. However, if one were to get hurt, Liverpool would be without a clear backup on game days.
