Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reviews Brighton defeat
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been granted his wish with Roberto Firmino reportedly set to pen a contract extension. Klopp recently spoke about wanting the Brazilian to commit his future to the Premier League club, which Firmino now seems set to do.
The striker has seen widespread changes to the attacking department but Klopp was still keen for him to stay. Firmino’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season but he is now set to sign an extension until 2025.
Firmino’s season has been broken up by a muscle injury he suffered just before the World Cup. That ruled him out of featuring for Brazil in Qatar.
But he had enjoyed one of his best campaigns beforehand, netting nine goals in all competitions in the first half of the season. Seven of those came as Liverpool started slowly in the Premier League, while he also bagged twice in the Champions League group stages.
Liverpool star Roberto Firmino is set to delight Jurgen Klopp by signing a new contract (Image: Getty)
Sky Germany report that Firmino will now sign a contract extension, with a decision on a deal until 2025 expected soon. The news will delight Liverpool head coach Klopp, who had urged the 31-year-old to remain with the club.
Asked about a delay in Firmino agreeing a new deal in mid-January, Klopp said: "They are normal things. What could be the reason from our point of view?
"There is no reason to give too detailed information but when you think a bit, where could it hang? It could be the time, it could be the money or these kinds of things, but it is completely normal.
"Bobby knows the situation here and what we think of him, that's clear. And there is nothing else to say, there is no problem or whatever, it is just the situation. I can't see any kind of problems there.
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been desperate for Roberto Firmino to extend his contract (Image: Getty)
"He was [so important], he is. I think in the first part of the season we were not flying but Bobby was the only one who played a pretty good season. He was probably the only one who played a kind of normal season in a lot of games, at least."
Klopp added that he wanted Firmino to stay, saying: “I don’t know 100 per-cent what his plans are, maybe someone else will offer him something better, I don't know, that can all happen, but I say 'yes' [I want him to stay] and everything is like it should be at this moment in time.”
It comes after a quiet January transfer window for Liverpool. Amid a backdrop of fans calling for midfield reinforcements, winger Cody Gakpo was the Reds’ only signing, arriving from PSV for around £35m.