After a slow start, Liverpool are really coming into their own during the business end of the season. Whether it’s too late to mount a meaningful title charge remains to be seen, but The Reds’ efforts this season bode very well for the future.
Even if success alludes them this year, Liverpool will be in a strong position to compete on multiple fronts next season. Finishing in a Champions League slot now looks like a sure thing (providing the club doesn’t go through a Manchester United-esque slump), which means that Brendan Rodgers may need to do some recruiting during the summer.
After all, The Reds will have more challenging games next season and they’ll be in a with a better chance of winning silverware. This alone makings bringing in reinforcements a smart move.
But it’s also worth noting that Liverpool do have some weak areas within their squad. They may, for instance, wish to work on their defence. They may also want to add a little more flair to their midfield, in order to improve the service into Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
There’s a number of decent candidates out there, but one player whose name keeps cropping up is Roberto Firmino. Indeed, The Metro claim that Liverpool and Chelsea are set to ‘battle it out’ for the Hoffenheim midfield maestro during the summer.
Both Premier League teams sent a scout to watch the Brazilian in action against Mainz last weekend. They won’t have been disappointed: the 22-year-old playmaker scored a cracking goal and was involved in all of Hoffenheim’s best moments. That goal meant that Firmino has scored 13 goals in 24 appearances this season, a fine return for a player in his position.
This has seen him earn a £12m price-tag, a figure that shouldn’t be too far outside of Liverpool’s financial wheelhouse. Indeed, if Brendan Rodgers is genuinely interested in the Brazilian, it’s not hard to see the deal going ahead.
Let’s just hope that Brendan won’t have to see off Jose Mourinho in order to get his man!
What’s your take? Would you like to see this Brazilian ace strut his stuff at Anfield? Are there better options available?
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