At Anfield, the Brazilian’s contract is up at the end of the current campaign, but recent weeks have served as a reminder of his significance to the Reds. The long-awaited day for Jurgen Klopp is drawing closer and closer. When Roberto Firmino leaves Anfield, there won’t be a dry eye in the house. For the past seven years, his beaming smile and no-look finishes have made the stadium come alive.
Even the best things must eventually come to an end, so when the Brazilian ultimately ends his career with Liverpool, he can do it with pride knowing that he more than did his lot to contribute to a heyday on Merseyside. On Friday, Klopp referred to Firmino as “a tremendously essential player to me, and to us,” and the statistics support his assertion. No player has played in more games (330), minutes (23,478), or assists (70) for him since he became the Red’s manager in 2015. Firmino’s total of 103 goals is only surpassed by Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
But it appears that this will be his final campaign. While all sides claim to be unconcerned about the issue and that an extension has not yet been ruled out, his contract expires next summer. As of January 1, he will be free to enter negotiations with foreign clubs. At the conclusion of the season, it is anticipated that he would leave on a free transfer and have an emotional send-off.
What recollections he’ll engender. What a crucial part he played in Liverpool’s development and success under Klopp. A legend at Anfield? Oh, yes. According to Klopp in August, Bobby is the lifeblood of this group. He was the only one who made it possible for us to play the way we have in recent years. Any Liverpool player would agree if you asked them. It is no accident, for instance, that Firmino, whose selflessness, movement, and capacity to press from the front have, in many ways, helped redefine the role of the No. 9 in recent years, allowed Salah and Mane to thrive.
When summer 2015 rolled around, Rodgers, a good manager and a fine coach, whose Reds reign had gone horribly awry, saw Firmino as a gifted but flaky offensive midfielder, feeling he lacked the muscle to play as a center-forward and the pace to play wide.
Sean O’Driscoll, his assistant, was even less encouraging. He openly questioned Liverpool’s recruitment team on the practice field as to why they had decided to spend up to £29 million ($32 million) to sign him from Hoffenheim when the manager had already been able to sign his first-choice striker, Christian Benteke.
Rodgers and O’Driscoll were fired shortly after the 2015–16 season began because of their sluggish performance. After Klopp took over, Firmino was the line captain for Liverpool in a 3-1 victory over Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge towards the end of his first month in charge.
That pattern was continued with the acquisition of Mane the following summer and Salah the following year. Both were able to make an immediate impact on Merseyside, where Klopp put together one of the most lethal and evenly-matched forward lines the Premier League has ever seen. Firmino was constantly at the center of it. Although he’s never been the most prolific scorer—his career-high total of 27 goals came in the 2017–18 season, and he hasn’t scored more than 16 goals since—his influence can be felt throughout Liverpool’s victories under Klopp.
For instance, his goal helped the Reds win the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, he scored in the quarterfinal and semifinal of the Champions League, and his goal against Southampton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Tottenham, and Wolves was a game-changer for the Reds during their 2019–20 Premier League title-winning campaign.
His lowest number of appearances (35) since joining Liverpool and only 11 goals during the previous season made it his most challenging. He has, however, had a strong start to the season, having already matched his five-goal total from the previous campaign, and he is expected to start against Arsenal on Sunday, a team he has historically had success against.
Without a question, Firmino’s game has been worse overall over the previous two years. There is a reason why Klopp spent more than £140 million ($155 million) on signing players like Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Fabio Carvalho, and Darwin Nunez, as well as why he didn’t start the FA Cup or Champions League finals last season (he was injured for the League Cup final).
Any time Firmino leaves, it will be the biggest blow to Klopp. This is his player, the one who has kept his squad together and cheers on his supporters. They perform on the Kop, among the greatest in the world. It really is something once it starts going.
Between now and May, Klopp will be hoping it receives a few more airings. For starters, he would love to hear it resonating at the Emirates on Sunday.
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