Liverpool have reportedly been offered a surprise swap deal involving Reds hero Roberto Firmino with Juventus keen.
Reports have already suggested that the Reds could potentially offer an exchange to the Italian giants for the services of Adrien Rabiot. Former RB Leipzig star Naby Keita was mooted as the potential man to complete a move to Turin, with the Frenchman going the other way.
Any switch would certainly have made sense considering the pair play in very similar positions, whilst also possessing similar transfer values. However, there is a considerable spanner in the works - that being Juventus will only consider one of the current Liverpool squad in exchange.
According to CalcioMercatoWeb, they are eyeing Brazilian forward Firmino in a swap for Rabiot as they aim to add to their forward options. It will certainly be interesting to note Liverpool’s stance on the potential deal.
The former Hoffenheim forward has long played a key role in the Reds’ system under Jurgen Klopp and has been pivotal in a number of successes at Anfield. The Reds’ boss has regularly sung his praises so likely would not be keen to see him leave.
Speaking last season, he said: “He’s a very important player for us, he’s a connector. He’s the best offensive defender I ever saw in my life, definitely.
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“He’s a ball chaser, he’s incredibly smart with all the things he’s doing, technically on the highest level and is able to play in the smallest spaces. Can make incredibly good decisions in a really short [space of] time and on top of that scores goals as well.
However, like Rabiot, he has just one year remaining on his current contract on Merseyside and appears likely to see his game time reduced next season with the potential club record arrival of Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan is among three major arrivals at Anfield this summer having been joined by Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay and Fulham starlet Fabio Carvalho. It was expected that the Reds’ work in the transfer market was done after that point but the fresh interest from Juventus in Firmino could potentially change that stance.
Rabiot, 27, has been backed to leave Juventus this summer and could well add much-needed depth to the heart of the Reds’ midfield. A graduate of the Paris Saint-Germain academy, he went on to make 227 appearances for the French outfit and won six Ligue 1 titles. He joined Juventus in 2019 on a free transfer and has made 129 appearances since, winning the Ligue 1 crown during his first season in Turin.
Rabiot made 45 appearances for the club last season as Juve finished fourth. In the meantime, Firmino accumulated 35 outings for Liverpool throughout the season, scoring 11 times.
