29 Nov 2014

Transfer Alert: LFC can sign 'irreplaceable' €24m Brazil star for a 'big fee'. Offer made over the summer

Liverpool have been constantly linked with a move for Hoffenheim attacker Roberto Firmino, and with the January transfer window only a month away, Sporting Director Alexander Rosen has finally admitted that the he is willing to sell the Brazilian maestro. Good news for LFC?

Over the summer, Liverpool allegedly considered making an official bid for Firmino, and when asked in July about the interest of 'top clubs', Hoffenheim manager Markus Gisdol told SportBild:

"Roberto is currently in excellent form. He fits the way we like to play football, but he has a contract here, so I'm not worried"

When pressed about how Hoffenheim would cope if Firmino left, Gisdol added:

"He is irreplaceable, and no club in the world can directly replace their best players when they leave"

Last month, Hoffenheim's sporting director Alexander Rosen still seemed confident of keeping Firmino at the club:

"I'm relatively confident of [his] stay here. The possibility of a farewell is not something that concerns us in the short term. Sometimes a sale is inevitable, but this is not the case."

Rosen appears to have changed his tune, though, and this week, he told reporters:

"One thing is clear: if a club comes, then we are talking about a very big transfer fee. We are aware that while he is a player of Hoffenheim, we will certainly not be the last stop in his career".

€24m-rated Firmino seems to have a different take on things, though, and when asked earlier this month about interest from Liverpool et al, he made it clear that a move away is very much on the agenda. He told reporters:

“It is very nice to have a lot of clubs interested in me. I will continue to work even harder so my dreams come true.”

Last season, Firmino really came to the fore at Hoffenheim:

* 22 goals/16 assists in 37 games.
* Overall: 38 goals/assist in 37 games.
* Goal every 1.6 games.
* Goal/Assist every 0.9 games
* League Only: Goal/Assist every 96 mins.

38 goals/assists? That's a stunning achievement in one of Europe's best leagues, and with 10 goals/assists in 13 games so far this season, it's no surprise that Rodgers remains interested.

Firmino recently received his first call-up to the Brazil national team, and if LFC are going to spend €20m+ on an yet another attacking player, then it should definitely go on a player with incredible creative stats.

Firmino is currently proving himself to be one of Europe's most prolific attacking players, and I personally would've preferred him over Markovic, mainly because he's older, more experienced, and his creative output is significantly better.

That said, nothing is guaranteed, and it's still entirely possible that - like Markovic - Firmino would've struggled with the transition to the Premier League.

Worth a bid, or will Lallana and Markovic (combined cost: £46m) come good?



Author:


20 comments:

  1. Sometimes you have to snap up this sort of talent regardless whether you need it or not. Chelsea are doing so well partly because of their incredible depth. Through buying quality players that are maybe not always needed. But in our case we need them. And how.

    ReplyDelete
  2. we should have signed him and forgotten about lalana and markovic and saved 10 million or so another thing rodgers bought lallana markovic moreno can and wont give them a consistent run

    ReplyDelete
  3. I fully support the persue of Roberto Firmino! Add Jackson Martinez, a DM and a class GK to that list, and I'm elated!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Firminos stats are very impressive no doubt but personally I think we need to work with the players we've got. Our players confidence is at Rock bottom so we get them playing as a unit again. In fact the only signing I would make is a new keeper.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a vital 3 points today. Can't believe Glen Johnson of all people got the winner AND got a kick in the head for his troubles. I'm normally Johnson's biggest critic and am regularly berating him for his lack of commitment so credit where credit is due, you took one for the team today Glen, well done

    ReplyDelete
  6. Of course Chelsea paid him what he wanted, is that not how they get all their players, Money talks, and they have it to throw away as we have seen many times.

    ReplyDelete
  7. B Rodgers if he is still the Manager in January:


    First and Foremost he will need to clear these players out in January:


    GK: B Jones(32) RB: G Johnson(30) CB: K Toure(33)


    DM: L Leiva(27) AM: Suso(20) FD: F Borini(23)






    And then B Rodgers or a new manager will need to sort out the main problems/ priorities to fix within the side/squad asap:


    Defensive Priorities:
    1: GK: A Begovic(27) Of Stoke should be brought to club for £10-£14M
    To displace S Mignolet(26) from first team and to compete with him week in week out.


    2: DM: C Tiote(28) Of Newcastle Or Y M'Villa(24) Of Rubin Kazan( On Loan at Inter Milan) for £10-£14M to bring more mobility, protection in front of back 4 and tough tackling enforcer to side. ( In Mould of Fernando, Essien, Mascherano, Matic and Momo Sissoko)




    Attacking Priorities: More class, creativity and goals needed to squad:



    3:CM: Y Cabaye(28) Of PSG for £16-£18M
    4: RWF/LWF: Pedro(27) Of Barcelona for £23-£27M
    5: RW/LW: K Bellarabi(24) Of Bayer Leverkusen for £10-£15M




    Those 5 players in would hit the ground running straight away as: They are class, world class players with experience and would be awesome players for club.




    With those players club would get the best out of Balotelli(24)
    : With those 5 players brought in to club and 5 players shipped out of club:



    Line up 1 : Home


    Begovic(GK)
    Manquillo RB Lovren RCB Sakho LCB Moreno LB


    M'Villa Cabaye
    Pedro Balotelli / Coutinho Bellarabi


    Sturridge

    AWAY:
    Begovic(GK)
    Manquillo RB Lovren RCB Sakho LCB Moreno LB


    Can M'Villa Cabaye


    Pedro/ Bellarbi Sturridge Coutinho/Lallana

    ReplyDelete
  8. 3 points but still not convinced about the performance. Bit like paper over the cracks. 1st half was terrible and second half saw us pressing high but couldn't hit a barnyard door. Our defence was lucky not to concede at least 4 goals.


    Sterling wasted out wide. Lambert had one shot on target the whole match. Our midfield neither here or there. Next up Leicester away. Let's see how that match pans out.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Chelsea are doing Well because when they spend, they spend well. We have plenty of attacking midfielders in our squad. The problem is that most of them are no good. Anyway, we need a striker. Not an attacking midfielder

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hes bought 25 players and hardly any of them play regularly

    ReplyDelete
  11. Should have done that in the summer mate. Too late now.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Another fantasy article!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Stoke were comfortable throughout the match. Would not read much into beating them. We should be winning matches at Anfield in any case. We have lost 4 matches away from home which is the 3rd worst record in the league this season. QPR and Leicester both 6 losses away but Leicester have only lost one at home this season so those who think it is going to be an easy match, well think again and the way we are still playing is really not going to strike any fear into them.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What like Rodgers doesn't like Can because he's Muslim- yes 'Code' did say that and worse

    ReplyDelete
  15. I suppose so, but I can always hope... What other alternative is there?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nevergonnacrackthecode9:42 am, November 30, 2014

    sign bony
    and bring back origi

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nevergonnacrackthecode9:47 am, November 30, 2014

    my teams better requires less signings and hassle
    ............................................Romero/Mignolet
    Clyne........................Lovren/Toure......Sakho..............Moreno
    ...........................................Gerrard/Allen
    ...................Henderson................................Lallana/Can
    ..........................................Sterling/Coutinho
    ......................................Origi/Sturridge........Bony

    ReplyDelete
  18. Why would you let go of Suso? Hasn't even gotten the chance to prove himself, and can prove to be an amazing player. Cabaye won't fit our style of play, besides he isn't a defensive mid, something we desperately need. A signing like Matuidi of PSG for a fair price and maybe just maybe Paco Alcacer would be the only things we need. Sergio Romero for begovic, only 2m and might make Mignolet play more consistently

    ReplyDelete
  19. I would let Suso(20) go but have buy back clause in contract as Suso(20) is an AM. And B Rodgers has 3 players ahead of him in his thinking who are better and can play that role more effective than he can ( Coutinho(22), Lallana(26) and Sterling(19) )


    So Suso(20) should be sold but with buy back clause inserted in sale. B Matuidi(27) would be great signing, but PSG will not sell him as he is vital cog in the way they play and is one of the first names on the teamsheet week in week out for PSG.


    B Rodgers should bring in either:
    Y M'Villa(24) Of R Kazan( On Loan at I Milan) for £10-£12M


    C Tiote(28) Of Newcastle for £8-£14M


    Or break the bank and spend £18-£21M on L Bender(25) Of Bayer Leverkusen

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your team is nowhere near better:


    It requires less signings but S Gerrard(34) is not A DM and is on his last legs and needs to be playing off the bench.


    Pedro(27) is a world class goal scoring attacker, who will bring 15-30 goals a season to club.


    Y Cabaye(28) is a world class box to box creative goal scoring centre midfielder who would bring 10-15 goals a season to club.


    K Bellarabi(24) is a class quality German international winger with goals in his locker, who would bring 10-15 goals to club a season.


    How many goals does Allen(24), Henderson(24) and Can(20) offer a season? Between them all, they wouldn't score 15, let alone 10 each.


    How many goals a season does Coutinho(22) and Sterling(19) offer? 12-18 between them? Pedro(27) would bring more goals to club than the both of them together


    K Bellarabi(24) would bring more class creativity and goals to club than £35M worth of talent we have at our disposal ( Borini(23), Lambert(32) and Markovic(20))


    So your team would not be better at all, who knows if Origi(19) will adapt to league straight away, he is young man learning his trade.


    The likes of Cabaye(28) , Pedro(27) are world class players playing for world class teams because they have the class, experience and quality to do so.

    ReplyDelete