Roberto Firmino could get Liverpool reunion as Premier League transfer chance emerges
Roberto Firmino has been linked with a return to the Premier League, and it could lead to the Brazilian linking up with two former Liverpool teammates.
In a surprising turn of events, Roberto Firmino, the Brazilian footballer who left Liverpool last summer to play in Saudi Arabia, might be making a comeback to the Premier League. It’s mooted to happen as soon as this month.
The 32-year-old forward, who departed Anfield after his contract concluded, joined Al-Ahli, a Saudi team, as a free agent. With 17 games under his belt in the Saudi Pro League, where he scored three goals and provided two assists, Firmino is now rumored to be considering a return to the Premier League. This move could potentially reunite him with two former teammates from Liverpool.
As per TalkSPORT, Fulham is one of several Premier League teams that have been presented with the opportunity to sign Firmino. This comes just half a year after he traded Merseyside for Saudi Arabia. Sheffield United, currently struggling against relegation, had previously shown interest in recruiting the ex-Hoffenheim star. However, this was before Paul Heckingbottom was dismissed as manager and replaced by Chris Wilder.
If Firmino decides to join Fulham, he’ll find himself playing alongside some familiar faces. Harry Wilson, a product of Anfield’s youth system, is already part of the Craven Cottage team where he has become an integral part of Marco Silva’s strategy and regularly represents Wales on an international level.
Another potential reunion could be with Fábio Carvalho, who was signed by Liverpool from Fulham in 2022. The Portuguese midfielder was recently recalled from a loan spell at RB Leipzig after making 15 appearances but failing to secure a consistent role in east Germany.
Both Fulham and Championship league leaders Leicester City have reportedly expressed interest in securing Carvalho on loan. Nevertheless, Carvalho’s return to the Premier League with a team other than Liverpool would be far less surprising than Firmino’s potential comeback.
Firmino’s departure from Liverpool in May 2023 was an emotional affair. He spent eight years with the Merseyside team and had to come to terms with the fact that his tenure had come to an end during the 2022-23 season. He stated in November: “I decided it was time to seek another challenge for myself, another purpose.
“My time at Liverpool had come to an end. It had been a beautiful story that I wanted to finish the right way. We are very grateful for everything we experienced in England; all of our dreams, mine and my family’s, were fulfilled. We experienced the greatest joys and triumphs; it was all so intense. And we didn’t want to leave with any bitterness, anger or resentment.”
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With Liverpool having the weekend off from Premier League action, Reds boss Jürgen Klopp can contemplate many an issue. For one thing, his side won’t play a game of football for another week, as they travel south to face Bournemouth on January 21.
While the rest will no doubt do Liverpool’s players well after an intense December period in which they played eight games in the span of a month, Klopp will also be able to evaluate his squad and see whether it’s right to dip into the transfer market. He’s done this twice before to sign current first-teamers, signing Luis Díaz in the winter of 2022 and Cody Gakpo a year later.
However, given how the season is going and with no real urgent need to sign players, it remains to be seen whether Klopp and Liverpool will make any moves to sign talent. The goal is likely to recover lost players as quickly as possible heading into the final months of the season.
Yet that doesn’t stop the wheels from churning on the rumor mill, and Liverpool will continue to be linked to players right up until the close of the window on February 1. Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong has mightily impressed at the German side this season, and this has garnered the attention of Liverpool. That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that Liverpool and West Ham could slug it out to sign the 23-year-old right back.
Frimpong could be the long-term successor to Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the current Liverpool right-back potentially being moved further upfield to play in midfield more regularly. Frimpong has netted seven goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions for Leverkusen, with his team still top of the Bundesliga by four points.
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Liverpool.com says: Whether Klopp intends to move Alexander-Arnold further up the pitch remains to be seen, yet there’s little doubt that Liverpool should be keeping tabs on Frimpong, who is only going to improve over the next year or so. A future move could be a real possibility, and probably to a bigger club than West Ham. The Manchester City academy graduate looks ready for his next step.
Kenan Yıldız (Juventus)
The Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız is slowly winning minutes under boss Max Allegri, and his performances have seen Liverpool register interest in the young Turk. It had been thought that Juventus would be forced to sell Yıldız due to its financial issues, but with his performances getting better by the week, Juve could look to offload Moise Kean instead.
According to the print edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Paisley Gates), Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund are all interested in signing Yıldız, but Juve are now rejecting all proposals for the 18-year-old. Yıldız has scored three times for Juve in the past several months, including a stunning volley against Frosinone in the Coppa Italia in his last appearance. It had been thought that Juve would entertain a fee of around $43m (£34m/€40m) for the teenager.
Liverpool.com says: Even though Juve’s financial situation is difficult, there’s little chance of the club selling Yıldız now given his recent performances and goals. What is likely to happen is the club will attempt to offload other players in order to keep him, meaning Liverpool’s chances of signing the talented forward are slim. Every player does have their price, but a forward is not currently a big priority for the Reds.
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