Arsenal have been linked with a move for 33-year-old Brazilian attacker Roberto Firmino in the last few weeks.
Former Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli after leaving the Premier League club, and he has now been linked with the return to English football. According to a report from reputed Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola, Arsenal will not face any competition if they want to bring the 33-year-old back to the Premier League.
Initially, there were rumours that Brazilian club Flamengo could look to sign the Liverpool icon. However, it seems that the South American outfit have now abandoned their pursuit of the player, leaving the way for Arsenal to step up their interest in him.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal can bring the 55-cap Brazilian international back to the Premier League. The Gunners could certainly use more quality and depth in their attacking unit, and Firmino would be a useful squad player.
Arsenal are in desperate need of a quality striker, and Gabriel Jesus has not been able to score goals consistently. With that said, Firmino was never a prolific goalscorer either. In addition, he is not at his peak anymore and will unlikely improve Arsenal immensely. It could be an underwhelming addition if Arsenal decide to sign him. They should look to aim for a younger player with more potential.
Firmino might not improve Arsenal much
There is no doubt the Liverpool icon was a world-class player during his peak, but he is clearly in his twilight years now. The opportunity to join Arsenal will be quite attractive for him, but the Gunners are unlikely to benefit from his arrival massively.
Firmino still has the experience, technical ability and leadership qualities which could prove to be useful for the arsenal dressing room, but he is unlikely to solve their goal scoring problems. Even if they decide to sign him in the summer, they should look to invest in a reliable goalscorer who can lead the line for them every week.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops. Firmino has proven himself in the Premier League over the years and he helped Liverpool win multiple major trophies. The opportunity to return to English football can be hard to turn down for the player at this stage of his career. This could be the last opportunity for him to compete at an elite level and play for an elite club.