Roberto Firmino

[Guest]

Juventus close to deal for Liverpool hero, ending pursuits of Chelsea and Man Utd stars (msn.com)

 

Juventus close to deal for Liverpool hero, ending pursuits of Chelsea and Man Utd stars

Phil Haigh - 9h ago

© Provided by MetroRoberto Firmino is looking increasingly likely to leave Liverpool this summer (Picture: Getty Images)

Juventus are close to agreeing a deal to sign Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, according to reports in Italy, which will end their pursuit of fellow Premier League forwards Anthony Martial and Timo Werner.

 

Firmino’s first team opportunities have diminished at Anfield, firstly thanks to the arrivals of Diogo Jota and then of Luis Diaz in January.

 

Sadio Mane has departed this summer, but the arrival of Darwin Nunez means that the Brazilian will struggle to make the starting line-up in the forthcoming campaign.

 

With the World Cup coming up this winter in Qatar, Firmino is keen for regular game time to make the Brazil squad and is interested in a move away from Liverpool for the first time since 2015 when he joined from Hoffenheim.

 

Italian publication Corriere dello Sport report that Juventus are about to capitalise on the situation and are close to a £19m deal for the 30-year-old.

 

Firmino only has one year left on his contract, which is why the fee is relatively low for a man of his quality and experience and Liverpool are happy to cash in, as they did with Mane.

 

If the deal gets over the line it will have an impact on Chelsea and Manchester United’s transfer business this summer as Juve were also eyeing up the Blues’ Werner and the Red Devils’ Martial.

© Provided by MetroTimo Werner has been linked with a move from Chelsea to Juventus (Picture: Getty Images)

Werner is not happy at Stamford Bridge, having struggled to get near to his best form in two years with the club and he has also been linked with a return to former club RB Leipzig.

 

However, reports suggest boss Thomas Tuchel has blocked any move away for his compatriot, still planning to use him in the first team regularly this season.

 

Martial’s Manchester United future had looked pretty bleak while he was on a forgettable loan spell at Sevilla last season, but he has returned to Old Trafford and is enjoying a great pre-season.

 

Still only 26, the Frenchman has been scoring regularly in friendlies under new manager Erik ten Hag, and with uncertainty surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, Martial could have a big role to play with the Red Devils this season.

[HBenn]

9 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Fabio Carvalho

Harvey Elliott

 

If Bobby were to go I would prefer they left Harvey in midfield playing behind the 3 and brought in a replacement or reinvested it in another area of the team. 

 

Not sure what you can get for £20m that will come straight into the 1st team squad and contribute to a high level. Maybe Terrier from Rennes. 

 

Could see them not being able to do much with it, banking it and waiting until next summer.

 

If there were no real attacking options would prefer they went after Chuwuemeka at Villa instead of holding the money. They clearly seem to be looking at cover in the holding role. If Bajcetic is not ready that maybe an option to strengthen there instead.

[TheRedMachine]

Selling Bobby now would be a mistake. And I'd be gutted.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, TheRedMachine said:

Selling Bobby now would be a mistake. And I'd be gutted.

Seems odd timing. Energy bills go up, what can we sell?

[Scott_M]

Pearce’s take in his latest article…

 

[HBenn]

28 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Pearce’s take in his latest article…

 

Hardly a strong statement is it? Not denying interest, not looking to sell but not saying he will definetly stay and they won't entertain bids either.

[Scott_M]

4 minutes ago, HBenn said:

Hardly a strong statement is it? Not denying interest, not looking to sell but not saying he will definetly stay and they won't entertain bids either.

“Rubbished interest”.

 

“Insist aren’t looking to sell”.

 

“Klopp is planning for him to remain”.

 

 

Not sure what else you need? 

[sir roger]

Good to see Pearce pissing on other suppporters chips instead of ours for a change.

[Shitty Arse]

Losing two of our established front 3 in the same summer would be a massive gamble.

We probably wouldn’t go out and buy another forward. Selling him would just make us weaker even if he isn’t guaranteed a starting place anymore. Fucking stupid idea. 

[Jordy Brouwer]

Sounds okay to me. 

 

Diaz, Salah, Nunez, Elliot should be enough. 

[HBenn]

34 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

“Rubbished interest”.

 

“Insist aren’t looking to sell”.

 

“Klopp is planning for him to remain”.

 

 

Not sure what else you need? 

Well for me its more about what they didn't say than what they did. They said there had been no formal bid of a defined value, not talks or interest that may well lead to a bid. They said they aren't looking to sell but not that they are against selling and they said they are planning on him being here and not that he will be here.

He could have simply said that he is not for sale and any bid would not be entertained as Bobby is a key part of Jürgen's plans for the season or that he will not be leaving until summer 2023 at the earliest.

Paul Joyce's comment re no midfielders until 2023 didn't leave much room for maneuver, this leaves plenty.

 

Just smacks of nothing to see here (yet).

 

[Babb'sBurstNad]

31 minutes ago, sir roger said:

Good to see Pearce pissing on other suppporters chips instead of ours for a change.

It's quite odd really, he's a journalist who can only tell people what won't happen. 

 

There has to be an anti-Pearce somewhere, who does the opposite; together they'd be like those doors in Labyrinth.

[Strontium]

Klopp obviously saw how well City did last season without any strikers.

[elvis]

44 minutes ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

Sounds okay to me. 

 

Diaz, Salah, Nunez, Elliot should be enough. 

Elliot's nowhere near ready imo.

[suzy]

4 hours ago, TheRedMachine said:

Selling Bobby now would be a mistake. And I'd be gutted.

Me too.

[Leyton388]

Yeah Juve can get fucked. 

[Strontium]

2 hours ago, Babb'sBurstNad said:

It's quite odd really, he's a journalist who can only tell people what won't happen. 

 

There has to be an anti-Pearce somewhere, who does the opposite; together they'd be like those doors in Labyrinth.

 

Has anyone tried to trick him into giving away worthwhile information with clever use of double negatives?

"So James, who will Liverpool not not sign this summer?"

[CapeRed]

3 hours ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

Sounds okay to me. 

 

Diaz, Salah, Nunez, Elliot should be enough. 

Jota?

[halewood pete]

2 hours ago, elvis said:

Elliot's nowhere near ready imo.

Disagree,I think he will be a revelation this season

[Bjornebye]

4 hours ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

Sounds okay to me. 

 

Diaz, Salah, Nunez, Elliot should be enough. 

Jota? 

[HBenn]

56 minutes ago, halewood pete said:

Disagree,I think he will be a revelation this season

I agree.

I think teams will struggle when Elliott drops in between the lines and Nunez is on the shoulder of the last man to decide whether to press him, hold the line or to drop, and he will revel in that space.

[3 Stacks]

4 hours ago, HBenn said:

Hardly a strong statement is it? Not denying interest, not looking to sell but not saying he will definetly stay and they won't entertain bids either.

Do you just always believe the exact opposite of these football news reports? You don't have to look for hidden interpretations all the time.

[VladimirIlyich]

4 hours ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

Sounds okay to me. 

 

Diaz, Salah, Nunez, Elliot should be enough. 

What has Elliot done so far to be in that mix? You are forgetting Jota though.

[HBenn]

6 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Do you just always believe the exact opposite of these football news reports? You don't have to look for hidden interpretations all the time.

No I don't. I have read enough articles and comments from journos to know they are much more forceful with their choice of wording when they choose to be. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see him go, if you see it as categoric that he is staying great. Personally not that keen to let him go and bring in an untried replacement so would love to see him stay. I think we need 5 strikers to compete.

[3 Stacks]

9 minutes ago, HBenn said:

No I don't. I have read enough articles and comments from journos to know they are much more forceful with their choice of wording when they choose to be. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see him go, if you see it as categoric that he is staying great. Personally not that keen to let him go and bring in an untried replacement so would love to see him stay. I think we need 5 strikers to compete.

You seem surprised that a journo wouldn't be completely categorical. It's usually implied that anything can happen during a transfer window but that there are more likely outcomes than others. Journos don't know everything, they report what they think is most likely based on what people tell them.

 

You don't have to go through James Pearce statements with a fine tooth comb wondering why he used certain words.