Juventus are reportedly pushing their luck by offering to swap Adrien Rabiot for Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.
According to Calciomercatoweb, Serie A giants Juventus are keen to land Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino and are ready to offer Adrien Rabiot in exchange for the Brazilian.
Firmino is set to enter the final year of his current deal with the Reds, and as of yet, there is no talk regarding an extension. The Brazilian enjoyed a somewhat successful 2021/22 campaign but fell short of the expectations that he has set over the past few years at Liverpool.
With Sadio Mane joining Bayern Munich, Liverpool’s fabled front trio is no more, and it remains to be seen if Firmino will be the next player to bid goodbye to Liverpool. The experienced forward will be 31 years old by the end of the year and is not getting any younger.
Rabiot is in the final months of his contract in Turin and looks set to depart this summer. There are currently talks of a swap deal involving the Frenchman moving to Anfield and Firmino going the other way. Liverpool value Firmino between €30 million and €35million, and Juventus are hoping to sweeten the deal by offering Rabiot in part exchange.
While it might make sense for some, Liverpool will do well to steer clear of the transfer. Rabiot, for all his talent, is a frustrating player and will struggle to cope with the Reds’ high-intensity style of football. His skill set also makes him a poor fit for Klopp’s system, and despite their search for a midfielder, there are better players than Rabiot who can be brought in to Anfield.
Firmino, on the other hand, could thrive at Juventus. The Brazilian has lost a bit of pace but still retains his intelligence and footballing awareness. The Liverpool forward will have more time on the ball in the comparatively slower Serie A, and this could potentially extend his career at the top level for a few more years.
The Brazilian might not be in a position to reprise his role as a false nine but could yet have a future on Merseyside. Firmino’s intelligence and ability to link play with others make him an offbeat choice to be used as a number 10. That could prove to be the case if Liverpool revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation next season.
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With Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota now in the squad, the Reds have little need to deploy Firmino up front. The Brazilian could yet have a major role to play for Liverpool next season, and it remains to be seen if he will do enough to extend his time further on Merseyside.
