Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has been told that he’s more than good enough to play for Bayern Munich.
Firmino is set to leave the Reds this summer, after eight glorious years at Anfield. Unfortunately, he’s set to do so on a free transfer, with Liverpool making no money back on the £29m they paid Hoffenheim back in 2015. While a shame for Liverpool, that does open the door for someone to get a bargain this summer. And according to former Hoffenheim head of international relations and scouting Lutz Pfannenstiel, Bobby would be an asset to just about anyone.
“In the Bundesliga, he would stir things up again. Because exactly the football he knows and loves is played there,” Pfannenstiel, who is now sporting director of US side St Louis City told t-online. “He is a world-class footballer, 31 years old, and can choose where he moves. Players like Firmino don’t normally come onto the market free of charge.”
Seemingly asked where Bobby should start the next chapter of his career, Pfannenstiel urged him to return to his former club.
“Definitely Hoffenheim. Hoffenheim and Firmino, they simply belong together. Nevertheless, he has the quality to play for Dortmund or Bayern. Actually, he’s so good that he can play wherever he wants.”
But wherever he ends up, Pfannenstiel has suggested that it won’t be at his current side. Instead, it seems that Firmino is set to continue in Europe.
“That he is associated with us [St Louis] is relatively obvious. Just because of our shared past at Hoffenheim. Of course, Roberto is a very interesting player, but the bottom line is that he is unrealistic for us,” said the sporting director.
Firmino underlines what he brings to the table
Bobby gave Liverpool fans another little glimpse into what they’ll be missing this weekend. Of course he scored against Arsenal. It’s what he does.
But it wasn’t just the Brazilian’s well-taken header that will have had Reds fans all misty-eyed. The team noticeably went up a level when he came on the pitch. Able to take the ball so well under pressure, he immediately gave Liverpool a new dimension in possession.
Jurgen Klopp does have other players who can do that – Cody Gakpo appears to be learning the role very well. There’s no-one quite like our No.9, though.
Forever underrated, every team in Europe and beyond would be lucky to snap up Bobby ahead of next season.
But from the 31-year-old’s point of view, he should perhaps be a little careful. He does have a very specific skill-set, he certainly wouldn’t fit into every team. Bobby saw that initially at Liverpool where Brendan Rodgers failed to get the best out of him. It would be a mistake for him to rock up at any old team expecting to slot in.
There will be somewhere out there where the Brazil international is a perfect fit, though. He was eventually at Liverpool and he can be someone else too. To be honest, it would fantastic to see him link up with his old mate Sadio Mane at Bayern. With Sadio failing to hit the ground running in Germany, maybe they’d be wise to bring in the player who got the best out of him. Let’s see what Firmino decides. Either way, it’s going to break our hearts a little.