Michael Owen says £35m star the ‘only one’ who can replace Roberto Firmino at Liverpool

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Michael Owen says Cody Gakpo is the ‘only one’ who can play that Roberto Firmino role for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool ahead of his exit.

The former Liverpool striker added that if Firmino does make his rumoured exit in the summer, then he will be a ‘big miss’.

On Sunday, the loudest cheer inside Anfield was for Firmino when he scored Liverpool’s seventh goal of their record-breaking rout against Manchester United.

The Brazil international came off the bench to further humiliate Manchester United in one of the most remarkable afternoons in English football history.

But this is expected to be Firmino’s last dance on Merseyside and what a way for the player to bow out.

In the meantime, he is watching Gakpo, who joined the club during the January transfer window for £35 million (Guardian), play that central role he made his own and Owen shared his thoughts, as he told Premier League Productions.

“You look at the players, you have Nunez in there and everyone says ‘centre-forward’,” said Owen. “You bring Gakpo in and everyone thinks he plays on the left.

“But what has he (Klopp) done? He has swapped them around. He knows that Gakpo is probably the only one that can come off and link play together. He loves his centre-forwards to drop this way (back) and his attacking players to go the other way.

“That’s the problem with Nunez. I love Nunez as a player. But he won’t come this way. He wants to sprint in behind, which is a great asset to have, but it just unbalances the whole way in which Liverpool plays and when Firmino plays, so that’s why he has changed it.

“In Gakpo, he sees somebody who can just drop off into those pockets and get Nunez and Salah from out to in. Of course, there will be players coming back. Jota. Then Diaz isn’t far away. But Firmino leaving in the summer, if reports are right, will be a big miss.”

WILL ANOTHER FORWARD ARRIVE?

A lot of talk has been about who Liverpool need to bring in midfield and at the back during the summer transfer window, but will any forward players arrive?

Even without Firmino, they are pretty stacked in that department. But will Klopp feel the need to add another when his quick-thinking South American star is out of the door?

At the end of the day, Luis Diaz has been out injured long term, so has Diogo Jota had his issues, and given Liverpool’s bad luck with injuries, perhaps it’s safe to bring in one more face.