Pundit suggests real reason Roberto Firmino hasn’t signed new Liverpool deal – ‘something’s wrong’
Liverpool must resolve Roberto Firmino’s contract situation as soon as possible.
That’s according to former Hibernian striker Tam McManus, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Brazilian’s future.
Firmino, 31, is out of contract at the end of this season and can now discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs – but Jurgen Klopp has insisted, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo (20 December) there is “no problem” with the prolonged negotiations over a new deal.
On 5 November, this site revealed the Brazilian is keen to agree a new deal at Anfield.
It is understood that Liverpool have asked the long-serving forward to take a pay cut on his £180,000-a-week in order to stay at the Merseyside giants.
However, McManus claims it could be guarantees over game time that are holding up the deal.
“I feel like this Firmino thing has been going on for a while now,” McManus told Football Insider‘s Ben Wild.
“He was brilliant for Liverpool at the start of the season. He was banging them in and then unfortunately he’s got that injury that’s kept him out for a long time now.
“Klopp could do with having him back not just because of his quality on the pitch but he’s a leader, he’s one of the senior players there and he’s someone you look to when things aren’t going your way.
“The longer this goes on the more you think there might be a problem. Is it game time? He’s an older player now and Liverpool have a lot of attackers.
“Maybe he wants guarantees that he will be playing because he is getting to the end of his career now and he wants to play as much as he can.
“These talks have been going on so I do think there is something wrong.
“It would have been sorted if everything was fine.”
In other news, Liverpool could submit ‘huge’ Mason Mount bid after ‘amazing’ update