Serie A giants Juventus are keen on Roberto Firmino as part of a swap deal with Liverpool for midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The Old Lady are currently eyeing Liverpool No.9 as Paulo Dybala’s replacement in Turin, who left the club as a free agent. As Firmino attracts attention as possessing a similar style to the Argentine.
However, reports from Calciomercato, earlier this week stated the Reds are ready for a direct swap deal between Naby Keita and Arien Rabiot. But now another Italian outfit, CMW, claims that the Serie A giants will ask for Firmino instead.
The Frenchman has been heavily linked with a move away from Juventus this summer. Moreover, according to The Telegraph, Liverpool are one of the clubs in the Premier League that he is willing to sign for.
The 27-year-old has no intention of extending his stay, as he is entering the final year of his current contract. Also, the Serie A giants agreed to his request, preventing the club to lose the midfielder for free at the end of the 22/23 campaign.
Similarly, Liverpool forward Firmino is also entering the last year of his contract. Yet, there has been no suggestion from the Anfield club whether the Brazilian will be allowed to leave.
Moreover, in a contrasting situation, the Reds are planning to offer Naby Keita a new contract. But according to the report, both Rabiot and Keita are at £17m valuations, meaning a swap deal for both is more viable.
But the Merseyside outfit values Firmino at around €26-30 million as per the aforementioned report. Therefore, Juventus will have to include a bit of cash into the deal to tempt the Reds.
What Anfield Home thinks about the swap deal with Juventus involving Firmino
Certainly, if Roberto Firmino leaves, it would be a massive gamble for Liverpool after Mane’s departure. The Brazilian is still a key member of Klopp’s side despite his injury concerns in recent seasons.
Since the start of the rebuild under Klopp, Firmino has been the linchpin in Klopp’s system. Playing a false number 9 role and bringing his Brazilian flair onto the pitch, he understands Klopp’s system better than anyone.
Even though Nunez’s signing means, Firmino has gone down in the pecking order. But certainly, his role in the team certainly going to be different going forward. The forward is so versatile and has played in numerous positions throughout his career, certainly. Moreover, he can fill in a No.10 position in a changed 4-2-3-1 formation (if Klopp chooses to change the system).
While Rabiot would be a good signing for Liverpool and add more quality and depth to the midfield. However, signing him at Firmino’s expense could be a costly mistake.
Rabiot was a regular for Juventus last season, making 32 appearances in the Serie A. But Naby Keita and Adrien Rabiot’s swap deal makes more sense, rather than including Firmino in the deal, at least from Liverpool’s point of view.
