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As Roberto Firmino runs down the final few months of his contract with Liverpool FC, there is much speculation about where his future lies. While there are plenty of rumblings that he and LFC are both interested in a new deal that would keep him at Anfield for a bit longer, that’s no guarantee at this stage.
So, naturally, he is being talked about as a potential target for clubs looking to add a veteran up top. One of these clubs is Inter Milan, who Gazzetta.it claim (translation courtesy of Sempre Inter) plan to target the Brazilian forward after his contract with the Reds ends this summer.
The idea is to bring in Firmino on a free transfer to replace Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian forward joined the Nerrazurri on a season-long loan from Chelsea in July, but his stay has not been a successful one thus far. Due to a series of injuries, the striker has made just eight appearances and only scored two goals. Inter are expected to allow him to return to Chelsea when the loan ends, and this would open the door to a signing like Firmino.
While it makes sense for a club like Inter to target Firmino, it’s hard to say at this point if LFC will allow the 31-year-old to move on. He has had a resurgence this season (when he’s been healthy) after a couple of down years, and his experience and unique skillset are always welcome.
However, he is an aging forward whose prime years appear to be in the rearview and Liverpool have added a bevy of young attackers over the last 2.5 years. While a player like Firmino is certainly still useful, the club will still have five forward options in Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Núñez, Luis Díaz, and Cody Gakpo if they decide to let him walk.
Given that the club are supposedly looking to spend big this summer to reinforce the midfield, they may have to decide that committing more money to Firmino isn’t a viable option. If that is the case, a free transfer to a club like Inter Milan makes a lot of sense for all parties involved.
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