Roberto Firmino to join Europe’s best team when leaving Liverpool as giants ‘closely monitor’ striker ahead of free-transfer swoop
Roberto Firmino could swap Liverpool for arguably Europe’s most illustrious team this summer as they are keeping a close eye on his situation, according to a sensational report.
On March 3, it emerged that Firmino had told Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp he would not be remaining at Anfield for next season. The centre-forward has decided to leave Liverpool on a free transfer once his contract expires at the end of June.
Firmino had previously been expected to sign a new two-year contract with Liverpool. But he wants to play more regularly, with Klopp preferring to use the likes of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo in that central striker role this season.
Despite Firmino deciding to leave Liverpool, he can still have a big impact on the team from now until the end of the campaign.
Firmino came off the bench to score the equaliser for the Reds as they drew 2-2 with Arsenal on Sunday.
The Brazilian has been linked with plenty of teams in recent weeks, such as Barcelona, Juventus and even Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea. There have also been rumours Firmino might head to Saudi Arabia to pick up one last huge contract, although it is thought that he would rather remain at the top level in Europe.
The Daily Mail have provided an update on the attacker’s situation, while citing reports emerging from Spain. It is claimed that Firmino could incredibly join the best team in Europe in the form of Real Madrid when departing Merseyside.
Real have won five out of the last nine Champions League trophies, which includes three consecutive triumphs in the competition between 2016 and 2018.
Roberto Firmino could secure massive transfer
The La Liga titans could add yet another UCL crown to their trophy cabinet this season, too. They will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Shockingly, the report states that Real are ‘closely monitoring’ Firmino ahead of submitting a potential contract offer to him.
Carlo Ancelotti is a fan of the 31-year-old’s ability and believes he could be a great backup for Real talisman Karim Benzema.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner is out of contract in the summer but is expected to agree a new contract at the Bernabeu.
The report reveals that Real do not have many backup strikers in their sights, which is why they are looking at Firmino. Most of the other forwards on the market are either too expensive or deemed not good enough.
But Firmino is viewed as a suitable signing due to his extensive experience in both the Prem and UCL with Liverpool. He has won both competitions while on Liverpool’s books, while also scoring 109 goals in 359 appearances for the club.
One obvious problem with Firmino joining Real is the amount of game time he would get. He wants to become a first-team regular when leaving Liverpool and would struggle hugely to get into Ancelotti’s starting eleven ahead of Benzema.
Therefore, Firmino could simply be swapping the Liverpool bench for the Real bench if he was to make this move. It remains to be seen if Real can overcome this by getting Ancelotti to convince him on the transfer, or by offering him a big wage.
