Firmino
Six new faces will don the Liverpool Red next season but none of them have generated the excitement that Roberto Firmino has since being confirmed as a Liverpool player. Critics and fans have sung praises of the the plundering Brazilian who has been on a meteoric rise to stardom in recent years.
The Reds signed Firmino in a deal supposedly around £29 million from TS Hoffenheim. Thus, making him the second most expensive signing in the club’s history, after Andy Carroll.
Firmino rose to fame during his five-year stay with Hoffenheim, whom he joined in 2010. The 2013/14 season being his most productive one and his breakthrough season till date. He was named Bundesliga’s Breakthrough Player of the Season after scoring an impressive 22 goals in 37 appearances as a midfielder. He carried his form onto the next season netting 7 goals and dishing out 10 assists. The Brazilian made his international debut for his country in November 2014 and recently played for the Selecao at Copa America 2015.
The 22-year-old is an astute passer with silky dribbling skills playing in a position right behind the frontman. It’ll be very intriguing to see how Firmino combines with Liverpool’s master-creator in chief – Phillipe Coutinho this season.
An incredibly versatile player, Firmino’s abilities to operate as a striker when required makes him an even better prospect than he already is. Having struggled for goals Brendan Rodgers can do well with more options up front if any of his strikers under-perform.
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