A detailed view of a mural of former Liverpool player Roberto Firmino outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Ipswich Town FC at Anfield on January 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England.A detailed view of a mural of former Liverpool player Roberto Firmino outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Ipswich Town FC at Anfield on January 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
A detailed view of a mural of former Liverpool player Roberto Firmino outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Ipswich Town FC at Anfield on January 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England. | Getty Images
There were few players who were loved more than Roberto Firmino during his time with Liverpool
It has been over two years since Roberto Firmino last pulled on a Liverpool shirt - but the Brazilian is still a hugely-popular and much-loved figure on the red half of Merseyside.
The Brazilian played his final game for the Reds in late May of 2023, as he scored in a 4-4 draw with Southampton. He scored on his last two Anfield appearances, too, with goals in draws with Arsenal and Aston Villa. He also provided a goal and an assist in the historic 7-0 mauling of fierce rivals Manchester United in March 2023.
His decision to leave came just before that win over the Red Devils. Reacting to his departure, then manager Jurgen Klopp said: “Yes, he told me. Surprised? Yes, a little bit but I was not hit by surprise, actually it’s a normal thing to do.
“It could go two ways and it was one. And I respect that a lot. It’s completely normal in this kind of long relationship that we have and Bobby has with the club and with most of the players and stuff like this, and with the fans of course. It’s pretty special and I loved the reception he got when he came on against United.”
Roberto Firmino’s selflessness allowed those around him to thrive
The Brazilian played 362 games for the Reds, scoring 111 goals and providing 76 assists. He thrived under Klopp as he won every trophy available in English and European football during his time at Anfield.
His best goal-scoring season came in 2017-18 when he netted 25 goals and provided 15 assists across the Premier League and Champions League. He was not a conventional striker, instead adopting more of a false nine role to allow Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah to play off him and become the main goal threat for the Reds.
The Brazilian’s ability to occupy defenders and allow his wingers to get more narrow and closer to goal was not undervalued by those who watched him week in, week out, nor by his manager. When he officially departed, Klopp underlined just how important Firmino was. He said: “He is so integral for everything what happened here in my time. I think he is still the player who started most games even when recently he didn’t start that often. It’s just that I couldn’t imagine for a long, long time how our game would look without him.”
Florian Wirtz could finally replace Firmino
Liverpool do need a striker this summer amid doubts over Darwin Nunez’s future and with their early transfer activity expected to cost in the region of £180m - the question remains if they will still sign a new centre-forward.
Arne Slot’s midfield trio is pretty nailed down so there could be the view to deploying Wirtz in a false nine position - taking up the same role Firmino performed when he was at Liverpool. Wirtz is an attacking midfielder but can play further forward. He had 10 goals and 13 assists from attacking midfield last season in the Bundesliga and could prove just as effective slightly further forward.
Salah was Liverpool’s top goal-scorer last season with Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz second and third, meaning most of Liverpool’s goals are still coming from wingers - as they did under Klopp. It means that Wirtz has the support acts that Firmino did and could prove to be the answer to the Reds’ striker problem. They perhaps did not need a new classic number nine but just a new Roberto Firmino - and Wirtz could well be that man.
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