Jurgen Klopp's past comments on Roberto Firmino would suggest Liverpool are going to have to re-think the way their attackers operate as the Brazilian international is linked with an Anfield exit.
The 30-year-old is in the final year of his Reds contract and could be free to walk away from Liverpool for nothing in 12 months' time. The famed attacking trio of Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have all seen their respective club future come under the spotlight in recent weeks.
Salah ended speculation by penning a new contract that sees him now tied to the club until 2025, but it was not a similar story for Mane. The Senegal international opted for a new challenge and joined German giants Bayern Munich after six years in Merseyside.
Firmino is yet to decide, but with no contract offer reported to be on the table as of yet, he could be nearing the end of his own Liverpool career. The former Hoffenheim forward is so highly thought of within the Anfield hierarchy it seems unfathomable that he will be permitted to leave the club for nothing.
Just last season, Klopp waxed lyrical over Firmino's selflessness and ability to defend from the front. "He is a connector; the best offensive defender I ever saw in my life. A very important player for us," the Reds boss said last October.
"He's a ball-chaser, incredibly smart tactically and able to play in the tiniest spaces; to make good decisions in really quick time. And on top of that, he can score goals, which is why we are so happy when he rewards himself from time to time, like the hat-trick he got at Watford."
The way Liverpool are building their new-look attack has sparked huge excitement among the Reds faithful, but it is bereft of a player in Firmino's mould. None of the other options could be described as a 'ball-chaser' or an 'offensive-defender'.
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With that being said, he has undeniably fallen down the pecking order in recent seasons and is likely to drop even lower given the arrival of club-record signing Darwin Nunez. The £85million man has not arrived at Anfield to sit on the bench and is expected to slot into the centre of the Reds front-three.
Firmino no longer makes the cut when discussing Liverpool's first-choice front three, which is now likely to consist of Salah and January signing Luis Diaz on either flank with Nunez through the middle. Firmino featured just 20 times in the Premier League last season, meaning he missed 18 league outings either through injury or simply not making the cut.
The harsh reality appears to be emerging that there is less room in this new, young and vibrant Liverpool forward line for the 30-year-old who notched just five league goals last season.
