Liverpool Urged To Keep £180K-A-Week Star Amid Reported £19M Bid

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has urged Jurgen Klopp to keep Roberto Firmino this summer.

The Brazilian has a year remaining on his current deal at Anfield and has been linked with a move away in recent weeks. 

Italian outlet Corriere Dello Sport reported last week that Juventus were ‘very close’ to signing the forward, with the Serie A side making an offer of £19 million.

However, there have been few reputable reports to back up these rumours and Klopp spoke glowingingly of the 30-year-old prior to last weekend’s Community Shield.

Enrique believes that Liverpool should offer the £180,000 a week star a contract renewal.

The former left-back tweeted: “I hope we renew his contract because he still has a lot to give to the team and players that really want to stay and love the club that’s the best players to have in your squad.”

Firmino started the weekend’s curtain raiser against champions Manchester City, but was replaced on the hour mark by new marquee signing Darwin Nunez, as the Reds ran out 3-1 winners.

With Nunez being brought in for somewhere in the region of £85 million, you’d expect the Uruguayan to play the bulk of the minutes this season, while Diogo Jota could well be next in the pecking order in this position.

This essentially means Firmino could find his minutes few and far between, making a potential move away from the North West appealing. 

However, Klopp will be desperate to retain the Brazil international, who has spent the last seven years on Merseyside. 

Firmino signed for Liverpool from Hoffenheim for £29 million in 2015 and has gone on to make 327 appearances for the club, scoring 98 times.

Despite Klopp opting to renew forward counterpart Mohamed Salah’s contract this summer, the same is not expected for Firmino, meaning the striker could well leave for free in 2023.