Roberto Firmino may ‘suits La Liga’ amid reports suggesting the Liverpool striker could join Real Madrid on a free transfer when his Premier League contract expires.
With the long-serving forward confirming that he will leave Anfield on July 1st, Firmino appears determined to bow out in style.
Arsenal’s Brazilian bogeyman broke Gunners hearts once again during Sunday’s game of the season contender on Merseyside; that 87th minute equaliser against Mikel Arteta’s men threatening to hand over the advantage to Manchester City in an enthralling title race.
At the age of just 31, and with nine goals in 12 Premier League starts under his belt, Firmino clearly has plenty of oil left in the tank. It seems that Real Madrid think so too.
Could Roberto Firmino leave Liverpool for Real Madrid?
Reports in Spain indicate that the reigning European champions are weighing up a deal that would see Firmino arrive to provide some useful support for the outstanding but ageing Karim Benzema.
And former England striker Darren Bent believes that Firmino’s outrageous technical ability could see him thrive in a league far more slower paced than the England’s top-flight.
“(That rumour) is a bit of a strange one,” Bent muses, via talkSPORT (11 April, 6pm). “Benzema is getting on. Firmino is getting on. (But) he suits La Liga. He has been quality for Liverpool.”
Firmino joined Liverpool from Hoffenheim for a fee of £29 million eight years ago. The 55-time Brazil international has won pretty much everything that is worth winning in European football since then. A Premier League title, the Champions League and a handful of domestic cups among them.
And, according to former Anfield frontman Emile Heskey, there can be no doubts abut whether Firmino deserves a place in the annals of Liverpool ‘legends’.
“He’s fantastic,” Heskey tells the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
“When he came in, no one really knew what we were getting. Then, he endeared himself to the fans. And the way that he plays, it helped the others – (Sadio) Mane and (Mohamed) Salah – a lot.
“He was the one working in those little spaces. He would drag people a lot for them to make runs. “And the nice touches. I used to like the nice touches he used to have.”
Firmino has scored over 100 goals in 359 games in Liverpool colours.
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