Where can Roberto Firmino fit into Liverpool’s starting XI?
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For several seasons, Liverpool’s front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Robert Firmino was unbreakable. But Jurgen Klopp has opted to shuffle his pack in recent times.
Salah recently signed a new record-breaking contract with the Reds, while Mane swapped Merseyside for Bayern Munich. But what about Firmino?
With only a year left on his current deal, the 30-year-old could have just one season left at Anfield. However, he will surely be desperate to cement a spot in Klopp’s starting XI.
Unfortunately for Firmino, the recent arrival of Darwin Nunez from Benfica won’t help his cause. Nunez is viewed by many as a direct replacement for Firmino, given that both players like the occupy the central forward role.
Nunez scored 34 goals in 41 games across all competitions last season, including 26 goals in 28 Liga Portugal outings. Meanwhile, Firmino bagged five goals and four assists in 20 Premier League appearances.
Granted, the Brazilian spent a large portion of the previous campaign sidelined through injury. But he is still nowhere near as prolific as Nunez.
It’s fair to say that Firmino’s best Premier League seasons came at the start of his time at Liverpool. After arriving from Hoffenheim in 2015, he wasted no time in becoming one of Klopp’s star players.
Across his first three seasons for the Reds, Firmino racked up 36 goals and 25 assists in 103 league games – averaging 0.60 goal involvements per game during that period.
By contrast, he has managed 35 goals and 26 assists in 128 league games across the previous four seasons – averaging 0.48 goals per game. This tells us that his output has dropped over the past few years.
It is also worth noting that Liverpool have Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz in their ranks, heightening the competition for places.
Jota has chalked up 34 goals and nine assists since joining from Wolves in 2020. Meanwhile, Diaz managed to collect six goals and five assists during the second half of last season following his move from Porto.
Of course, Firmino is still a top-class player. But there is no denying that he has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield in recent times.
Due to the arrival of Nunez – and the continued brilliance of Diaz and Jota – Firmino could struggle for game time during the upcoming season.
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