Liverpool told not to ‘sacrifice’ Mane and Firmino after Pearce exit hint – pundit
Paul Robinson has urged Liverpool to tie Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane down to new long-term contracts despite their age.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Premier League goalkeeper claimed the duo would be “almost impossible to replace”.
Firmino, 30, Mane, 29, and Mohamed Salah, 29, all have 18 months left on their contracts at Anfield.
As revealed by Football Insider (11 December) extending Salah’s deal is Liverpool’s priority and all parties are hopeful of agreeing new terms.
On 26 December, The Athletic‘s James Pearce hinted at an exit for Mane or Firmino when he claimed the Reds “cannot have a situation” where all three forwards are handed lucrative new deals.
When asked by Football Insider if the time had come for Liverpool to refresh their front line, Robinson said:
“You have got to freshen your team up but you do not do that by sacrificing two of your best players.
“We have seen Liverpool do that before with [Luis] Suarez and [Philippe] Coutinho. Liverpool fans were devastated when Coutinho left. They went on to rejuvenate their squad and be better for it so there is a case for moving players on.
“However, Mane and Firmino are such an integral part of that team, I think they’d be almost impossible to replace.
“I watched Mane in person against Leicester and even though it was a poor performance, he was still impressive. He is always a threat.”
In other news, a pundit has predicted Liverpool could soon face a difficult transfer decision regarding 23-year-old loved by Virgil van Dijk.