Although Roberto Firmino anticipates receiving an offer from Liverpool for a new short-term contract, the striker would rather extend his stay at Anfield rather than sign the new deal.
Along with James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Arthur, Firmino is one of six players whose contracts will expire on July 1. The other five players are Adrian and Arthur.
While discussions are under on to extend the contracts of some of them, it is expected that the remaining ones will go on a free transfer at the end of the season. Firmino is the one who is most likely to link his future with Liverpool after 2023, and there are numerous speculations that a new deal is on the horizon for the No. 9 position player.
GOAL’s Neil Jones had earlier reported that the most likely deal would be for a period of two years, with the chance of extending it for an additional year.
Bruno Andrade, a Brazilian journalist who writes for UOL Esporte, reports that Firmino is currently simply waiting for a deal that will bind him for a limited amount of time.
The Liverpool boardroom participants have stated that “no long-term extension is presently being contemplated,” therefore the duration of the agreement will be between one and two years.
Andrade also mentions that on January 1, Firmino will be free to sign a preliminary agreement with clubs outside of England. There have been reports that clubs like Italy and Saudi Arabia are interested in acquiring Firmino’s services.
On the other hand, it is said that the player, who is now 31 years old, “prefers to continue with the Reds.” Since joining the club in 2015, Firmino has been one of the most significant players in Jurgen Klopp’s era at Liverpool, if not the most important player overall.
Due to the fact that the striker, who will turn 32 the following season, is plagued by injuries on an almost constant basis, it goes without saying that the club would benefit from a deal that was shorter in length.
Firmino is now sidelined owing to an issue with his calf. During the previous season, he missed a lot of games due to a variety of injuries, including a persistent hamstring injury, which caused him to lose his spot in the starting lineup.
On the other hand, there has been a resurgence this season: he has participated in all but two games and started in 16 of 21 matches, tallying nine goals and giving four assists.
Even if he is no longer a sure thing to start, due to the competition from players like Darwin Nunez and Diogo Hota, he is still an important member of the squad, and an extension of his contract for a shorter period of time is likely to be beneficial for all parties.
Comments are closed.