Anfield hero Steve McManaman has played down the recent speculation of star striker Roberto Firmino’s departure from the Liverpool camp.
Firmino had been one of the top performers under Jurgen Klopp’s charge on Merseyside but the Brazil international forward has failed to hit the ground running in a consistent manner since the backend of the last season.
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With rumours suggesting that the likes of Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona were keeping tabs on Firmino, ex-Liverpool man McManaman was quick to dismiss concerns over the 30-year-old’s future at Anfield beyond the forthcoming transfer windows while speaking to horseracing.net.
“Liverpool don’t want to lose him and he’s still under contract.
“Would he be able to play in La Liga? Yes. Firmino’s style of play and the way he plays would suit a big team like Barcelona down to the ground, without a shadow of a doubt. But I would be amazed if something like that happened. Barcelona have just about got Ferran Torres onto their books and there’s no way they can get players of Firmino’s ilk at the moment.
“They may do next year, when they’re commercially back operating and the fans start to come back, and they’re improving. But a lot rests on Barcelona getting into the Champions League next year. If they finish out of the top four, it’s going to be nigh-on impossible for them to attract that type of player and pay that type of money.”
The Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will be forced to depend heavily on Firmino’s experience following the departure of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for the Africa Cup of Nations amidst the congested fixture list for Liverpool.
Klopp has the likes of Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino in his depleted Liverpool attacking roster to provide cover in the forward roles along with Firmino.
