Roberto Firmino of Liverpool controls the ball in the Premier League game against Newcastle United at St. James Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, February 18, 2023. /CFP
Roberto Firmino of Liverpool will leave the club when his contract ends in June, according to Sky Sports on Friday.
Liverpool paid 29 million pounds (about $34.9 million) to land Firmino from TSG Hoffenheim in 2015. Then "The Reds" brought in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in 2016 and 2017 respectively, making a dominant attacking combination that helped the club win a series of trophies including the Premier League championship in the 2019-20 season and the UEFA Champions League title for the 2018-19 campaign.
Firmino has scored 107 goals and 78 assists for Liverpool in 353 games. He became the highest-scoring Brazilian striker in Premier League history in 2019 and so far has had 78 goals in the English top league.
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, said in January that he wants the club to keep Firmino, who is "really important."
Roberto Firmino (C) of Liverpool lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy to celebrate after the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the tournament's final at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain, June 1, 2019. /CFP
"Maybe he wouldn't fit right with all the clubs in the world but to most definitely because having a player with his footballing intelligence, you can develop the game from here and score... He is so unselfish on top of that, and you don't get that very often. He is a great player," Klopp said of Firmino.
However, it's also true that the arrivals of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez this season resulted in reduction of playing time for Firmino. According to Sky Sports, he informed Klopp of his decision to leave in summer. The two had positive talks.
Liverpool beat Wolves 2-0 at home on Wednesday to stay hopeful of entering the Champions League qualification zone. They are currently sixth with 39 points, six behind fourth Tottenham Hotspur on the Premier League's standings table, but Liverpool have played one fewer game than Hotspur.
Liverpool will host their long-time rival Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.