Steven Gerrard wants to sign a Liverpool legend he once described as a 'genius' in a move that could solve two problems.
Former Liverpool captain Gerrard is currently the manager of Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq and is looking to improve his squad as pressure mounts on him to produce a turnaround in form.
Al Ettifaq haven't won any of their last six in the league and face a trip to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr on Friday.
Gerrard is hoping to sign a former Liverpool striker in the hope that he can help turn their fortunes around and fire them up the table.
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Whilst the club isn't backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund - the sovereign wealth fund that owns Newcastle United along with four Saudi Pro League clubs - they certainly aren't short of money.
Two former Liverpool players Jordan Henderson and Georginio Winjnaldum already play under Gerrard, and he wants to make it three by signing Roberto Firmino, according to Liverpool.com.
Firmino currently plays for Jeddah-based Al Alhi who are third in the league. But he hasn't been performing well, scoring just three goals in 15 league games.
He's contracted with the club until 2026, but hasn't started since October despite being the club captain.
Gerrard has been a long-time admirer of Firmino, who scored 111 goals in 362 appearances for Liverpool before departing in the summer.
Back in 2018, Gerrard praised Firmino and highlighted him as the most important player in Liverpool's forward line.
"The key to it all is Firmino," he said, as per This is Anfield.
"He doesn't get as much attention as the other two (Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane) but for me he's the key - the most important.
"He's an absolute genius when you watch him close up. I follow him a lot."
Gerrard has refused to comment on speculation that he's interested in signing Firmino saying: "At the moment, he's Al Ahli's player, so it's very difficult for me to comment on that situation."
Topics: Liverpool, Roberto Firmino, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Steven Gerrard, Football, Transfers
Will Evans